Close Encounters Of The Lethal Kind
by CyberJordan
Summary: As Leon returns to the Capital Wasteland so does another old enemy looking to restart their brutal experiments. Can Amata survive without the safety net of the Lone Wanderer?
1. A bitter homecoming

Finally story number 3. New territory, new characters, new plot...with an old enemy. I don't think anyone's tried to continue this branch of the Fallout story yet so please R&R and let me know if this appeals and how I'm doing. As ever feel free to drop in ideas as I'm still building this up. For now just a small scene setting part to see if this appeals. Before we start, to make this clear, _this is a sequel fic. _If you haven't read Steel Vengeance and Tides of Change do so first or a lot of this will make no sense at all.

**Intro sequence**

_War...war never changes. In 2282 the Capital Wasteland was a very different place compared to what it had been when the Lone Wanderer had taken his first steps into it. Fresh water is now available, the Enclave has been reduced to a distant memory and a small working government has been established in Rivet City. Following the defeat of the cyborg menace on the west coast the Lone Wanderer is returning home to help build on these successes. But, while he's been away, another of his old adversaries has been at work in the wasteland and they are about to strike very close to his heart... _

**Capital Wasteland-March 2282**

Leon, Dan Kerrigan and Yuna teleported down from the mothership to the Capital Wasteland. They ended up arriving in the very same spot that the wrecked Zeta recon craft had crashed four and a half years ago.

"Never thought I'd say I missed this wasteland," Leon smiled. "But it's good to be back."

"I know what you mean," Dan agreed. "The Mojave wasn't a bad place but this is where the roots are."

"Speaking of which," Leon reached for the radio on his belt. "Paladin Commander Kallan to Citadel."

"Leon?!" Scribe Jameson's voice answered immediately. "How did you get back so fast? We were expecting to retrieve you from the west coast."

"Thought I'd save you a trip," Leon joked. "Can you send a Vertibird over to Minefield?"

"On its way. ETA 5 minutes."

**The Citadel**

A mere ten minutes later they were disembarking the Vertibird in the Citadel's courtyard to a cheering welcome from the crowd of Initiates and Knights gathered there.

Elder Rothchild was also waiting eagerly for their arrival. "It's good to see you all again and in one piece no less."

"Now comes the lengthy debriefing I suppose," Leon sighed.

"I'm afraid so. But don't worry, I'll make it as quick and as a relaxed affair as I can," Rothchild promised. "And the company should be good for one of you at least."

Rothchild didn't have to explain. The sight of a grinning Jake Corey, Yuna's childhood friend and now much more, stepping out of the crowd sent Yuna's jaw almost crashing into the floor.

"Jake!?"

"They both woke up a week ago," Rothchild explained as the two embraced.

It was news that sent a wave of relief flooding through Leon. Events had forced him to leave Jake and his love Amata Almodovar behind in a radiation coma similar to what he'd suffered after Project Purity. Both had fallen into a trap meant for him set by Mr Burke. Needless to say Burke didn't survive the mistake but that was a tale for another time.

Dan smiled broadly. "That's some homecoming gift eh Leon?"

"No kidding!" Leon agreed. "So if she woke up then..."

"She's out on patrol with the Sentinel," Rothchild finished. "We weren't expecting you back at such short notice so it's been a regular day for us up to now. I'll let Scribe Jameson tell them the good news the next time they check in."

**Little Lamplight- same time**

Amata, Sarah Lyons, Knight Captain Kayla Thomson and their patrol were well out of their usual routes in the DC ruins. Instead of tech scavenging they were following up on an inquiry from the trade caravans who'd become concerned when no one had come out to trade with them here for the last two days. Sarah knew they could be overreacting but, given recent events in the Capital Wasteland, she understood their concern and why they hadn't gone in themselves; Lamplight was built on the only viable entrances to Vault 87 after all. That was why she had 15 Knights with her as well as the Pride.

"Alright, stay sharp everyone!" Sarah ordered as they approached the cave entrance.

"No sign of any bent girders or gut bags, that's encouraging," Vargas observed.

"Don't assume anything," Sarah cautioned.

"Should our scout go in first?" Glade asked. "If there is an ambush..."

"She's the only one dressed for it after all," Sarah agreed. Everyone was in various models of power armour except for Amata who was in recon armour.

"Amazing how I always get that job," Amata rolled her eyes.

"Shouldn't have kept volunteering for it then," Kayla shot back with a grin which Amata matched. The ex-Enclave soldier and Sarah had almost become like sisters to her in the last four years.

"Same drill as usual," Amata said. "Give me five minutes."

As it turned out she barely needed three. She'd never been in Little Lamplight before but it didn't take much to see something was wrong; the kids' front gate was wide open. Her pip-boy was detecting no hostile movement. In fact, aside from the settlement's dogs that were whining and pleased to see Amata, there was no life or movement at all. It was like the Marie Celeste; every human in Little Lamplight had vanished.

Finding no one to question she radioed Sarah and soon the whole platoon was joining the search.

"Small wonder the traders called us in," Sarah mused as she fed the settlement's starving dogs from her rations.

"It's as if the whole town just upped and left," Kodiak was at a loss.

"That could be it," Vargas ventured.

"But why leave these poor guys behind?" Sarah countered as she petted the dogs.

"You've got a point," Vargas admitted. "But what else could it be? We've checked both the 'Murder Pass' entrance and the secret entrance to Vault 87; both are locked down."

Kodiak was just as baffled. "Not only that just take a look around! There's no blood, no bodies, no booby traps, no damage and no signs of battle at all."

"That's not all," Glade rejoined them after searching the trading post. "If they were Raiders or Slavers they forgot to rob the place! The shop's caps and its stock are all still there, nothing's missing."

"I don't think it was them or the Super Mutants," Sarah said firmly. "Not enough carnage for that. I don't know what to think but I sure as hell don't like it. Call it in to the Citadel."

Nor did Amata or any of the others. There was just something so wrong and spooky about this whole situation.

**Citadel-Elder's quarters**

By now Leon's returning group had just finished their debriefing to Rothchild whilst Paladin Tristan and a very interested Olwyn Lyons listened in. Whilst Sarah's father had officially retired Rothchild still kept his old friend close as his most trusted advisor.

"So the cyborg threat is finally over," Rothchild said with a great deal of relief.

"For now at least, yeah," Leon replied. "I know we took a risk with Epsilon but Jaden thought it was worth the risk and so did I."

Rothchild seemed to accept that. "This Jaden Storm sounds intriguing. Could you have made our first serious ally outside the Capital Wasteland?"

Leon nodded. "I'd say so. He's a lot like how I...used to be a few years ago. You'd like him."

"Having him as a friend over there will count for a lot," Dan chimed in. "He's a member of the Mojave Brotherhood and controls his own nation. If we can stay friends with them we won't need Lost Hills ever again."

Rothchild could easily see the benefit in that. He'd been disgusted to learn that the Brotherhood there hadn't lifted a finger to help Leon or Jaden against the cyborgs. Their learning curve was a flatline as far as he was concerned.

"So how's things been here in our absence?" Leon asked.

"Overall much the same as when you left but improving," Rothchild replied. "Talon Company seems to be descending into factions and civil war. We've had three reports of their mercenaries fighting each other in different parts of the wasteland."

"Good and not before time," Leon grunted. The deaths of Burke and Littlehorn were having just the effect he'd hoped for. With their main bankrollers gone along with their leadership the Talons' ruthless and power hungry nature were now liabilities rather than assets. Add to that a hostile new government based in Rivet City with a powerful Brotherhood and several other up and coming mercenary outfits like Reilly's Rangers backing it, all of which were hostile to the Talons, and they had a very big problem.

"The Super Mutants are still our biggest threat," Rothchild went on. "We've prevented them increasing their numbers since your foray into Vault 87 but they've been mutating people for 2 centuries so they still have considerable forces and, try as we might, we've not been able to get a demolitions team inside Vault 87. They always encounter too much resistance. Whatever else those beasts might be they are very protective of their home. They've managed to lock down the secret way into Vault 87 through Lamplight lake cavern and the other entrance is now always heavily guarded."

"No kidding," Tristan grunted. "We keep trying to get in but those Overlords are tough and they keep beating us back."

Leon sighed. "I knew this was going to come up again sooner or later. Sounds like a job for me, not that I really want to return there."

Rothchild nodded in understanding. "No sane man would. However before you contemplate that there's another issue that's recently come up and it's...disturbing."

"How so?" Leon's interest had been piqued.

"We've heard reports of people vanishing across the wasteland..."

Dan and Yuna paled as they heard that. "Don't tell me it's the cyborgs again!" Dan managed to get out.

"Doubtful," Leon said. "I killed Alpha 4 years ago, there's no doubt about that. There's also no doubt Yuna nailed Delta and Iota plus I doubt any of the others could have survived a nuke going off in their faces."

"Not only that," Rothchild added. "It's mainly children that are going missing. What use would children be to cyborgs or anyone in combat?"

Leon had to agree. The cyborgs could transform kids now; he'd seen Epsilon do it in the Mojave with his nanites. But all that was to help build a new and more humanised cyborg society. Leon knew the likes of Alpha or Delta wouldn't even have considered something like this.

"How many have been taken and where from?" Leon eventually asked.

"A lot from all over the wasteland," Rothchild revealed grimly. "At first we thought little of it. As cold as it sounds people vanish across the wasteland all the time so one or two wasteland children vanishing wasn't thought out of the ordinary. But then settlement children began vanishing in just the same way."

"Anyone I know?" Leon asked.

"Maggie; one of your neighbours in Megaton I believe, several from Rivet City including Bryan Wilks, the boy you rescued from Grayditch and the list goes on," Tristan replied. "Several adults have gone as well from the same places but whether that's by design or accident I couldn't say."

"Sounds like we don't know much," Yuna broke in.

"Unfortunately true," Tristan admitted. "All we know for sure is that someone or something is taking them but we've no eyewitnesses, descriptions or anything to go on."

"Do we have anything at all?" Leon asked in an exasperated tone.

"Some...vague reports," Tristan seemed exasperated too but for different reasons. "Some parents were nearby when their kids were taken. They could hear their kids screaming for help but they never found them; when we asked them about it they said it was almost like the screams were coming from over their heads."

"The report from Rivet City is just as outlandish," Rothchild went on. "Some wild tales of lightning on the upper decks when it happened."

Leon's brow knotted in concern. "Lightning?"

"Yes and there was no storm at the time," Rothchild said. "But I believe the exact words were 'blue or green light coming from the sky'. Ridiculous!"

Leon didn't share that opinion. In fact those words had turned his blood to solid ice.

"Leon? What's wrong?" Jake had caught Leon's alarmed expression.

"Let's just say I've got a theory," Leon finally said. "If it becomes fact I'll tell you about it."

Leon sure as hell hoped he wasn't right but something told him he wasn't going to be that lucky...

**Little Lamplight entrance**

By now Sarah's team had given up searching the cave and had returned to the surface so they could send a clear transmission back to the Citadel.

"I've got some good news Amata!" Glade told them after she'd sent their report. "Guess who's just got back at the Citadel now?"

"Oh I've got a good guess!" Kayla smiled at Amata with raised eyebrows.

"Cut it out!" Amata squirmed uncomfortably although she was thrilled that Leon was back in the Capital Wasteland.

"All joking apart I'm glad he's back too," Sarah smiled. "We could really use his help finding out what the hell is going on around here. I know kids have been going missing lately but this takes the cake! Who the hell can kidnap a whole settlement of them without a shot being fired and leaving no trace behind? Even the cyborgs couldn't pull that off."

"I'll go and see if there are any trails," Amata's tone indicated she didn't expect to find any but she knew it was better than doing nothing. She walked past the entrance hut and out onto the road.

"Hey Vasquez, something wrong with your Tesla Cannon or something?" Kodiak suddenly asked.

"No, I haven't even armed it, what's wrong?" Knight Vasquez replied in confusion but then realised what Kodiak had been getting at. The air seemed to have a static charged feeling about it like a heavy thunderstorm had just been through.

"What's this?" Kayla didn't like the feel of the air; it felt like it was alive with electric energy.

"A-Amata?!" Sarah's eyes went wide as she saw that Amata had frozen up where she was standing. Not unusual in itself except for the fact that she also seemed to be glowing green! As if that wasn't enough she was now starting to float off the ground into the air.

"SARAH!" Amata was flailing about trying to get loose of whatever force held her but all to no avail as she floated away high into the sky.

The surprises weren't to end there. The source of the 'electric air' soon became apparent as the sky above seemed to ripple and then revealed the source of the tractor beam reeling in Amata: a large saucer shaped alien vessel...

Sarah, Kayla and the rest of the squad could only watch in horror as the ship sucked Amata inside and then sped away to the west.

**The Citadel**

"An alien ship?!" Scribe Jameson couldn't believe what she was hearing over the radio. If it had been anyone else but Sarah on the other end she'd have dismissed this as delusion outright. Even now she had doubts. "Sentinel, are you sure you're not imagining this?"

"I wish she were," Leon muttered as he entered the radio room with the others just in time to hear his suspicions become dead and dread certainty. "I'd hoped never to see these bastards again."

"Again?" Rothchild raised his eyebrows. "You know of these abductors?"

"Believe me when I say I wish I didn't," Leon spat. "But given they've taken Amata and god knows who else we don't have time for this. We need to get after them now! Does Sarah have Vertibird transport?"

"Yes. She took a large patrol out to the west," Jameson informed him.

"Then tell her to meet me north of Minefield where I was picked up," Leon asked. "Before anyone asks I've got a way to go after them, I just hope it's ready to go after what it's already been through on the west coast!"

Rothchild sighed. He was far from happy about being left out of the loop but given it was obvious Leon had a plan, he was totally in the dark and he wasn't going to get the time to get filled in. "Go Leon, you can brief me later. Assuming we get a later!"

"I'll bring them back, count on it. Come on!"

With that Leon, Dan, Jake and Yuna ran for the courtyard and an awaiting Vertibird.

**Zeta ship**

Amata had blacked out before she'd been sucked into the ship and now she was coming round. At first all she'd heard were some...odd sounds. It just sounded like gibberish but as she listened more she realised it wasn't mindless gabble but a very odd language. She opened her eyes and soon wished she hadn't. She was strapped down on some kind of operating table but what was standing over her, namely four white suited green skinned aliens, was the real horror.

As her mouth fell open in shock and alarm the nearest alien operated a control and brought a nasty looking probe down near the side of her head. Before she knew what was happening the probe's needle had punched into her neck sending a sharp stinging sensation through her and causing her to cry out in pain.

{...unit is online and operational.}

Amata shook off the pain just in time to 'hear' the alien's report in her head. They were still speaking the same gibberish but she could understand them now!

{So I can see from the primitive's reaction,} another of the four said in derision. {It does make them easier to manage...and it makes this process more entertaining!}

Another probe descended from the ceiling into Amata's stomach and suddenly Amata's innards felt like they were on fire. She had enough time to scream in agony before darkness claimed her again...


	2. Another ship, another jailbreak

Well it seems the feedback was positive for the most part so I'm keeping this going. 14 reviews, 12 follows and 13 favourites...thanks guys! Since I've got so many on the first part I'll just have to stick to the direct questions and inquiries but please keep reviewing and giving me ideas. Reviews can change my story flow as some already know :)

EnclaveOfficer745: No, no cyborgs this time. I don't want to be thought of as a one trick pony so to speak. There will be some other character returns though.

TSCSupremeCommander: This is the last major idea I've had, sure. I've still got one or two others in the pipeline though they might be stories of the past rather than continuing stories but I'll see how this goes before deciding.

Oddliver: I'm not done writing yet but I might be going back in time rather than forward for the next one.

Flipout6: Oh dear this is plainly the DLC you don't like but, unfortunately for you, it is canon since it's an official DLC. There were definite plot holes in it that you pointed out well and that's what I 'm trying to fix with this fic since no one else seems to have tried yet. If that doesn't float your boat then you'd best try another fic.

eaglescorch: Oh the Zeta have gone darker alright. Desperation tends to do that...

Chazzen01: I've still got a few twists up my sleeve, don't worry. :)

The next part might be a little longer off as I'm going abroad soon and away from the internet :( but I'll do the best I can.

**Zeta ship**

"Hey, wake up!"

Amata groaned as she heard the voice. The aliens' 'experimenting' had done a number on her and she felt like crap. She managed to open her eyes to find a familiar good looking blonde girl shaking her awake.

"I know how you're feeling but you've got to move now!"

Amata let the girl pull her up and help her to the wall of the sterile metal cell they'd been flung into. There was no door but a shimmering force field over the entrance and the roof had a large opening in it. The reason why soon became apparent as a large metal grabbing claw went over them at fast speed.

"Thanks," Amata gasped. Her insides felt like a hoard of Yao Guai had been tearing at them. "Hey, I remember you. It's Lucy isn't it?"

Lucy West grinned. "Yeah. I'm surprised you remember me, you didn't stay in Megaton long."

While relieved to see a familiar and friendly face Amata's mood soon worsened. "So...it's not a dream then."

"No such luck," Lucy replied grimly. "I've been through that stage already."

"I've seen some weird things in the wasteland but...aliens?" Amata was having trouble catching up with reality.

Lucy nodded. "I know. I keep hoping that I'll be waking up soon but given I've been here four days I don't think that's going to happen."

"Four days?!" Amata gasped.

"Yeah, four days. I was with Maggie just outside the town, I was teaching her how to shoot a hunting rifle when she was snatched off the ground by this green beam thing. I try to drag her back but I get pulled in as well; then there's a bright light and I wake up on a slab and surrounded by those...things," Lucy sighed.

"Did they hurt you too?" Amata shuddered a little as she remembered her time on the operating table.

"I don't know what they did but it hurt...a lot," Lucy replied with venom. "Little bastard torturers! Still, as bad as it was, at least I still have my clothes!"

"What? AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Amata shrieked as she finally realised that she was stark naked aside from her pip-boy!

"Hey take it easy," Lucy reassured her. "We're both girls and it doesn't look like you've got anything to be ashamed about. You must have a lot of guys chasing after you."

"Only one really," Amata blushed. "And I haven't seen him for awhile. A pity, we could really use his help right now!"

"If you're looking for _any _help or an easy way out of this place, forget it," Lucy warned. "That door seems to be the only way in or out and it only works for them. I can't find any controls, loose wires, nothing! What really scares me is..."

Lucy was cut off by the claw coming back over but this time it had a 'cargo', namely a ten year old girl who was screaming in terror all the way.

"...That."

"Oh god!" Amata was sickened as she figured where the kids of Little Lamplight had gone. "They took kids too?"

Lucy nodded. "I haven't seen Maggie since we were taken. Since then most of the poor bastards they've been taking with that thing have been kids. A lot haven't been coming back either."

Amata's disgust quickly turned into white hot rage. Any thoughts of waiting for Leon and rescue had disintegrated. "Well I don't know about you but I'm not sitting here waiting!"

"You got a plan? I haven't been able to find a way out," Lucy replied dejectedly.

"Maybe but there was only you then. Now there's two of us," Amata schemed.

"But what difference does that make? We still can't open the door."

"But they can for us," Amata reasoned. "It's just a matter of making them."

"And how do we do that?" Lucy was eager after four days of confinement.

"Only one way I can think of. They want us alive so they can experiment, right? So how about we go a few rounds and see if they come in and stop us?" Amata put up her fists and smiled.

Lucy did the same and returned the smile. "Bring it on!"

**Mothership Zeta**

Things hadn't entirely gone how Leon wanted them. He'd made the rendezvous point in good time, so had Sarah and the Pride but unfortunately word of the incident had got around faster than anyone thought. That was pretty obvious given Freddie, Christine, Susie, Butch and Alphonse Almodovar were waiting there as well. On hearing the news by radio they'd 'commandeered' a Vertibird that happened to be on the ground in Grayditch at the time.

Leon wasn't happy and nor was Sarah but he knew there was no time to waste and certainly none for the full blown argument he knew he'd get if he tried to stop them coming so, in the end, he'd just gone to the teleport point and beamed up first. Now he was frantically scanning every inch of the planet's surface.

"But I don't understand it Leon!" Sally said as she helped Leon search. "We've been up here all the time, there's no way another ship could have got past us!"

"Except for the last two weeks," Leon answered. "It's a safe bet they slipped in while we were fighting the cyborgs in California."

"Leon...what the hell is all this?"

Leon cringed at Sarah's exasperated voice from right behind him. He'd been so focused on going after Amata he'd forgotten that, Yuna and Dan aside, he'd brought an almost completely new team that had no knowledge of the mothership yet. Everyone else was still speechless and recovering from being teleported for the first time and the fact they were on an alien ship.

"Short version Sarah since I don't want other that ship getting away from us. Yes, we're on another alien ship. It tried to take me four years ago just like this one took Amata."

"What on earth for?" Alphonse hadn't stopped worrying since he'd heard the news of his daughter's abduction.

Leon sighed in worry. "Given what happened on this ship I shudder to think. Elliott, could you bring up the camera records again just like we did last time?"

"Sure," Elliott started bringing up the camera records of their first battle against the Zeta.

"That'll show you the highlights of my little adventure up here," Leon told them. "While you catch up I'll find Amata...I hope."

**Zeta ship**

If Leon had known what was going down on the other ship as he spoke, he'd have been proud of Amata. The 2 alien guards that entered the cell were used to cowed and docile human specimens. When they tried to separate the 'fighting' Lucy and Amata they certainly weren't ready for the brutal ambush they got as the girls' fists quickly turned on them. Even with shock batons the aliens were at a severe disadvantage as they were beaten to the ground.

Lucy, furious at being caged for four days, grabbed one of the batons and slammed it into her opponent over and over until he was a burnt out corpse. Amata's did no better, her hand to hand training with Leon had made her lethal and it wasn't long before she trapped him in a corner and started smashing his head into the wall time and again until his skull had caved.

"You ok?" Lucy asked.

"Never better," Amata replied as they grabbed a shock baton each. "Let's get out of here!"

Both ran out into a corridor just as metal and sterile as the cell they left behind aside from the many force field covered doorways.

"More cells," Lucy looked at Amata both thinking the same thing. Most of them were empty, one had a corpse of a wastelander who'd somehow managed to slit her wrists, in another a female Talon who 'wasn't there anymore' so to speak. Although she was still alive she was slumped on the floor staring into space and literally drooling. However the last one that Lucy checked held a dark haired man in his early forties dressed in metal armour.

"Hey!" He'd noticed Lucy through the energy barrier.

Lucy had some misgivings about releasing him, everything about him gave off a Raider aura but...she supposed he was human. She hit the switch and dropped the barrier.

"Thanks, never thought I'd need rescuing, if we get out of this don't tell anyone! I'd be a fucking joke in hours!"

"And you are?" Lucy asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Name's Jansen. Used to be one hell of a Raider before I retired. Or until I _thought _I retired! Fucking freaks! I'm gonna...whoa!"

Jansen had caught sight of the naked Amata who'd turned the same colour as a tomato and was desperately trying to cover herself. Not likely given all she had was her hands and a shock baton.

"Will you look elsewhere?" Amata snapped. "Unless you want this upside the head?!"

"Feisty too! I like her already!" Jansen grinned.

_As if this day couldn't get any worse! _Lucy facepalmed as Amata got madder by the second...

**Mothership Zeta**

As Leon expected nearly everyone was speechless by the time the playback had finished.

"No one believe it? I don't blame you, I lived through it myself and I can't believe it some days."

"I knew you'd been through some crazy stuff Leon but this?" Sarah found her voice first.

"There's more," Leon switched on his pip-boy and played back some of the prisoner files he'd downloaded four years ago.

"Unbefuckinglievable!" Butch crudely summed it up.

"So they've been watching us and...collecting us for over 500 years?" Alphonse was aghast with horror.

Leon nodded. "Yes and I still have no idea what for. Not understanding their language makes it difficult and their computers can't be hacked in the same way ours can."

"I've been able to access most of the controls whilst I've been here," Sally added. "But I haven't been able to access their mainframes and their research files. I know what a lot of the controls do but I can't make sense of their language at all."

"I suppose your 'friends' haven't been able to fill in the blanks?" Leon was referring to the red suited alien crew.

Elliott shook his head. "They're able to understand us but not the other way round, they talk to us through sign language. Fortunately we can control most of the stuff up here with just the two of us. One thing we do know for sure is they're sadists! There's no reason good enough to dissect living people on operating tables!"

"And they're NOT doing that to Amata!" Leon shared Elliott's anger.

"I've found them!" An elated Sally suddenly broke in. "They dropped their cloak and I'm reading teleport energy. I'm guessing they're still taking people."

"Where are they?" Dan asked first.

"Over the west coast by the looks of things. Uh-oh, they're on the move again!"

"Can you lock on?" Leon asked in desperation. If the ship could cloak and evade their sensors Leon knew they might never get a chance to spring Amata, not when they could fly right by them.

"Don't worry. Now that I know what to look for that cloaking device won't help them," Sally promised.

**Zeta ship bridge**

On the opposing ship's bridge the alien commander was not in a good mood. He'd hoped he was safe to continue his 'acquisitions' for much longer than he'd had but he'd no sooner moved to the other side of the continent before his bridge crew warned him they were being scanned. His cloaking device could shield him from anything the primitive population had to offer but he knew it would do nothing to shield him from another of their warships. The system had been designed for camouflage against enemies but easy location by their own fleet in case one got into trouble. They'd never planned for a scenario where an enemy controlled one of their ships.

If the commander had his way they'd have brought the fleet here, wiped out the captured ship and the planet below as an example. His race's needs took precedence however. Shameful as it was to admit, his race needed this experimentation and the humans. His race's technology was highly advanced but physically he knew they were pathetic. That was one area where the human race did put his to shame but then again they'd not been forced to live for centuries in space migrating from one place to the next. Still he knew his debate would have to wait. He now had an escape to plan.

{Are you sure we can't elude their sensors?}

{Unfortunately I'm certain we can't,} a lieutenant replied apologetically. {Whoever controls that ship has certainly mastered its detection functions.}

The commander half expected that but it didn't make things any easier. {Did we collect enough specimens from this area?}

{Not enough to meet the required quota.}

The commander cursed mentally again. The science division would have to make do with what they had. There was no time to safely abduct any more.

{Move us out of the atmosphere, maximum speed! Put out a distress call to any available ships,} the commander ordered. {With luck we'll outrun them and reach the protection of the fleet before they can catch up with us. Head for the warp gate once we clear the atmosphere.}

{Their weapons are fully operational. What if they try and shoot us down?}

{If you do as instructed now they may not get the chance!} the commander's patience gave out. {They may not even take that risk given we have some of their people aboard but I'd sooner not find out. Now get this ship moving!}

{At once.}

If the commander thought that was the end of his problems he was in for a disappointment as another operator called for his attention.

{Commander, we have a breakout on the prison level!}

{What? Show me!}

The commander's mood grew angrier by the minute as he watched Amata and Lucy's escape. {They called themselves warriors? Beaten by two human primitives and females no less!}

{I'll alert every warrior we have.}

{Yes, do that!} the commander growled. {Keep me informed of their movements. We can't afford any damage from within while we are under pursuit!}

{Understood. The science team is asking how to proceed with our newest acquisitions. What should I tell them?}

{Tell them to do whatever they see fit. I have too many problems of my own to attend to!}

**Zeta ship prison deck**

Lucy had managed to broker an uneasy peace between Jansen and Amata. As a result Jansen was taking the lead sneaking up the corridor. In the first place he was the most heavily armoured and in the second he couldn't easily check Amata out (much to his chagrin).

Anyway they'd put aside their bickering for now and they'd reached their first obstacle: namely the prison block control room in a booth just inside the entrance.

"There's only one of the little pricks in there. Allow me!"

Now he was free Jansen was hungry for revenge himself and wasted no time taking it as he snuck around the control room under the windows. The alien operator was flat on his back before he even knew Jansen was there and by then it was far too late. Jansen had nothing but his muscles, fists and feet but that was more than enough. The small alien stood no chance against a frenzied ex-Raider who knocked his shock baton away and then proceeded to rain punches and kicks down on him. It could only end one way and it did when Jansen raised his foot over the broken alien, stomped his face straight through and then spat on the corpse.

"Come on in. Little fucker's Brahmin meat! Let's see what we can scavenge up!"

All three of them opened up crates searching for weapons and any protection they could find. Amata was elated to find all of her gear though Jansen was disappointed on one level.

"At least you can stop ogling Amata and concentrate on helping us get out of here," Lucy had chewed him out as Amata ducked behind a pile of crates to dress.

"Damn. Oh well I suppose it was kind of distracting," Jansen admitted. "Oh fucking A!"

Jansen had found his own customised AK assault rifle. It had a slightly larger clip of 30 rounds and he'd riveted a combat knife blade onto the barrel to form a jerry rigged bayonet.

Lucy also found her missing hunting rifle and Amata her laser rifle.

Jansen was taken aback when he saw her recon armour and holotag. "She's Brotherhood? Damn it, why do they always get the...shit, someone's coming! Get some cover!"

The girls hid inside the control booth whilst Jansen hid to the side of the door despite Lucy feeling confused. "What's he talking about? I didn't hear..."

Amata shushed her quickly. She hadn't heard anything either but Jansen looked certain. Whatever else she might have thought of him he had the look of a wasteland survivor and it looked like he had good instincts.

His hearing instincts, honed by years of ambushes as a Raider, were dead right. He could hear a young voice through the door.

"Alright, I'm going, just stop using that fucking thing! OW!"

Jansen's anger began to rise as he heard the shock baton being used. Another prisoner being brought in. Time for one of his old tricks.

Sure enough the door slid open and admitted a young 13 year old boy prisoner and two escorting alien warriors.

Jansen grinned. _Thanks suckers! And a one and a two and a..._

With a swift lunge he sank the bayonet into one guard's throat. Amata leaned out of the booth and decapitated the second with her ever precise laser shots before he could even think of raising a shield.

Their prisoner, on seeing the bayoneted alien crash to the floor, snatched one of their batons and gave him a 'helping hand' into the next world. Or more like a frenzied beating until his strength gave out but by then the alien was a smoking corpse.

Amata and Lucy rushed to the kid's side as he collapsed to the floor sobbing. Even Jansen swallowed hard when he saw both his arms were covered in burns. Amata gently pulled him up into a hug.

"My sister...they took my sister!" The kid got out through his tears.

"Do you know where?" Amata asked softly.

"No. I tried to stop them but they took her someplace else!"

"Do you think you could take us back to where they separated you?" Amata asked. "We're getting everyone we can!"

"No problem, strength in numbers, right?" Jansen knew her words had been aimed at him mainly. "Well if we're doing this we'd better make it fast!"

He checked out in the corridor to make sure they had no other company before they moved on. All of them were now determined to escape or die trying.

**Mothership Zeta**

Things had taken a big turn for the worse for the pursuing team. Somehow the aliens had got the drop on them, putting on an extra burst of speed and getting past them out of Earth's orbit. Leon guessed they must have transferred extra power from their shields to the engines or something similar. It didn't really matter how they'd done it but the result was a chase into space. All in all not good in itself. But things were about to get worse still.

"What the hell is that?" Elliott had been working the long range sensors trying to figure out where the ship was going. Their course was taking them toward the Kuiper Belt and toward some kind of energy distortion there.

"I don't know," Sally replied in a worried tone. "But whatever it is they're headed straight for it!"

Leon exchanged a worried look with both Alphonse and Sarah.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sarah asked.

"I wish I weren't," Leon replied.

"Well don't keep us in suspense already!" Freddie broke in.

"This is only an educated guess but I think we've just had a time limit added," Leon was grim. "I'd say that thing is their way out of this galaxy to god knows where and if they get to it before we catch them they'll go through and slam the door in our faces. If that happens Amata, the Lamplight kids and everyone else aboard is gone...for good!"


	3. Mind battles and echoes of history

Finally home and back writing again after a break in Poland. Krakow's a nice city. Auschwitz death camp not so much but it does give you a new look on life. Anyways back to business.

coastierks: Amata's a knockout alright but you can't fight your way off an alien ship with that sort of distraction can you?

Chazzen01: There's no safe answer to that is there? Anyway I do try to please and I've got plenty more twists, two big ones are in this part actually.

Exile037: I've no intention of quitting now, don't worry.

EnclaveOfficer745: There was a Rivet City militia girl in the cells too but she'd snapped by the time you find her. Glad you like the idea as there's more of that now with a twist or two...

OliverMoss: This is more 3 than Vegas though there is some Vegas involvement.

Jake: Interesting idea but these alien ships are kind of cramped and I don't see Liberty Prime fitting . Not to mention the only other one is still in pieces back in the Citadel.

TSCSupremeCommander: That's just the idea. Bethesda was real wanting in the back plot on this, if they'd had more of that it would have rivalled the Pitt as the best DLC. Good theories but you'll have to wait a part or two for answers there alas.

eaglescorch: A half right guess but there's already _been_ a surprise in Vegas. But, to twist Ulysses a little, you were right about the who of it though .

As ever, thanks for all the reviews guys.

**Zeta ship-Science labs**

{I find it hard to believe what I'm seeing here.}

Having been given the go ahead by the Commander to do as they wished the alien scientists were wasting no time in processing their latest captives. Given the security threat posed by Amata's breakout the Leader, or head scientist, had decided on a new and radical course of action: creating their own security force by brainwashing their newest captives. As the scientists saw it this was a win/win plan. In the first place the 'soldiers' they were creating were expendable and in the second place the escapees might think twice about firing on their own kind, though that was considered a long shot given humanity's violent nature. They'd processed about 20 captives so far, forcing them into small rooms resembling operating theatres and strapping them down onto restraining gurneys or chairs. From there the electronic displays and subliminal messages did the rest until the process was complete and then they were led away for further brain surgery...for most that is.

{How many sessions have you put this one through?} One of the newest acquisitions was proving of interest to the Leader.

{This is the fifth!} the incredulous scientist replied. {All of our subjects so far have endured one or two at most before they submit.}

{But not him obviously} the Leader looked coldly at the camera display watching the brown haired young human male strain at his restraints. {Is there something different about this one?}

The scientist's reply seemed almost flippant. {It's more a case of what _isn't_ different about this one. His brain, main organs and skeleton have all been enhanced. He has several medical cybernetic implants in his body and, from what this brain scan has told me, he has suffered partial memory impairment.}

{Could that be what's stopping his conditioning?}

{That and his strength and constitution,} the scientist reasoned. {All are superior to most of his race.}

The Leader agreed with that assessment though he hardly needed a computer to see that. One look at the subject's physique told him as much.

{How should we proceed? I could turn up the intensity but that's not without risk.}

{Don't be concerned. I'll supervise this one myself,} the Leader promised as he looked at the readings on the console. {This one has proved a special case. In fact he may be our answer to our escapee problem. There are similarities between him and one of them.} The Leader brought up a playback of Amata and Lucy's breakout from their cell and zoomed in on Amata's wrist. {Now you see what I'm referring to?}

The scientist did. Both had pip boy 3000s attached to their wrists. The one their captive had differed slightly in that it was gold in colour but functionally it was the same.

{Your orders then, Leader?} the other scientist asked.

{Process more of our other captives, arm them and then send them at the escapees. I will need more time with this one but he'll break. They all do in the end.} The Leader was confident of that; he'd experimented on hundreds of humans over the last century or two and knew their weaknesses and limitations.

He wouldn't have been so confident if he knew exactly who he was dealing with. Despite being naked, restrained and under mental assault Jaden Storm was still fully aware and resistant. Even by the Courier's standards this had been a lousy day. He'd only just finished a morning inspection at Camp McCarran that day and had decided to walk back instead of taking the monorail, a big mistake looking back on it. Before he knew what was happening the alien ship had decloaked and he was caught in a green tractor beam and then knocked out. He'd woken to find himself all but naked aside from his pip-boy and surrounded by gun wielding aliens along with many other terrified captives in a herding pen in the cargo bay and unable to do much of anything.

Jaden had no time to get acquainted with any of the other prisoners before being herded out at gun point, forced into a small room complete with a gurney and what looked like TV screens and strapped down. Now he was fighting for control of his own mind.

Unlike the others, though, he had a few edges. Most importantly he knew what he was dealing with and still had a handle on the situation. Thanks to the Lone Wanderer he knew these aliens all too well, he'd seen their technology before so he wasn't riddled with fright or confusion and had kept his wits about him. He'd seen the difference in the other prisoners as they'd come out of the chambers. They were almost like robots, hardly showing any emotion at all so he'd guessed what the aliens were up to and wasn't taken completely by surprise when the whispers in his head and the spiral displays had started up. So far he'd held out by keeping his eyes closed as best he could and replaying memories of past battles in his head to ignore the soothing whispers the aliens kept feeding him along with the electric shocks they tried from time to time to force his eyes open.

Fighting the brainwashing, however, was taking its toll. He was sweating, tiring and he knew he couldn't keep screwing his eyes shut and taking these shocks forever even with his healing implant. Then he remembered something Dr Usanagi had told him before she'd started therapy with him to recover his memories...

The Leader, meanwhile, decided to try another somewhat risky approach. {Since this one won't give in easily we'll have to suppress his resistance. Increase power to monitors by one third and double the electric shocks. Either he'll submit and the programming will start to take hold or he'll drop unconscious and then it will take hold. We win either way.}

{Leader, if he keeps up this resistance it's also possible we could shatter his mind! These primitives may be physically stronger but their mental capacity leaves much to be desired.}

It was an unfortunate truth that the Leader knew well. The aliens had left a lot of drooling vegetables in their wake over the years.

{Given our escapee problem it's a chance we have to take. Do it!}

Jaden grimaced as the shocks increased in intensity and frequency. It was becoming harder and harder to keep his eyes closed and off the great spiral display spinning and swirling overhead...

**Zeta ship-prison deck**

Two decks below Amata's group were making good progress. They'd escaped the prison section altogether and were fighting through what looked like an engineering area, Steam was being vented into the walkways at various points and the team took full advantage of it, often the alien hunters became the hunted and never knew what hit them until it was too late.

Their newest friend, 13 year old Wolf, was one of the Little Lamplight abductees. It turned out they'd all been inside the settlement at the time when these strange metal spiders had started crawling in over the front walls. MacCready had tried to rally the kids but the surprise was too complete and the spiders too many. Before Wolf knew what had hit him a spider had leapt up to his throat, stuck him in the neck with some kind of needle and everything went black. Next thing he knew he'd woken up in this nightmare. Now Wolf was proving an effective scout and ambusher, diving into vents and hiding areas in the pipes and tossing out frag grenades onto the feet of their alien pursuers. He'd been one of Little Lamplight's most effective hunters and food scavengers back home and it showed.

"Little brat ain't half bad," Jansen had said. "If this was twenty years back and I was recruiting I'd have made a Raider out of him in no time!"

"So why not now?" Amata asked with thinly veiled suspicion.

"Like I said, I'm retired and I'm building up a settlement now," Jansen replied calmly. "Getting too old for this shit and my reflexes ain't what they used to be. Besides any dick can see which way the wind's blowing, there's no future in raiding now. The settlements and DC have got organised and if the Talons go tits up, and I think they will, what chance in hell have Raider gangs got? If the settlement militias, Reilly's mercs or the Wanderer don't get you the Brotherhood will. Anyway can we pick this up later? These little fuckers are real persistent!"

Amata had to agree as Jansen emptied his clip into another alien gunner. What their white suited opponents lacked in size they certainly didn't lack in courage or numbers. She'd killed eight so far by herself and she'd had to start using their weapons as aliens with shimmering shields and helmets had started appearing. Both she and Lucy were now using atomizers and Jansen had taken a disintegrator despite the fact he hated energy weapons.

"Aw man! Sentry guns now?" Jansen spat as he rolled aside to avoid the fire from the atomizer turret. The aliens had anticipated their likely movements and had set up a chokepoint in one of the upper gantry control rooms.

"Don't look at me this time," Wolf muttered as he saw there were no air ducts nearby. "There's nothing I can do."

"My turn then," Amata activated a stealth boy. "Keep them busy. I'll take care of the rest."

"Is she serious?" Jansen asked Lucy.

"I guess so," Lucy had lost track of Amata so she just laid on the fire from her new alien pistol.

"How does anyone hit anything with this shit?" Jansen cursed as he joined her with his disintegrator.

He didn't get an answer before the sentry gun and the three aliens were fried by two plasma grenades thrown in behind them by a grinning Amata.

"Can you show me how to do that?" Wolf grinned.

"Another time when we haven't got people to rescue and a ship to escape!" Amata urged. "Come on!"

The team ran down the gantry and through to another cold, blue coloured section.

**Mothership Zeta**

"I don't know about you but I'm sick of being blind and deaf to what's going down on there," Leon was muttering.

"I might be able to do something about that," Elliott spoke up. "If I can just piggy back into their system...yes!"

"What's with the celebration?" Sarah wondered. "A camera showing the prison level on this ship?"

"No it isn't," Elliott grinned smugly.

Sarah and everyone else was confused at first until they finally worked out that what they were seeing was a feed from the prison on the enemy ship.

"I slipped in through the back door," Elliott pre-empted the obvious questions. "But this is all I can risk doing. Any attempt to snatch control or interfere with the ship's operations and their bridge will detect it and lock us out."

"Can we see though any camera and everything that's happened up to now?" Leon asked.

"Yes and yes, I can get a playback."

The first things they saw filled everyone with rage as they saw the science division torturing Amata on her arrival.

Butch couldn't hold himself in on seeing the aliens work. "Those little...wait until I get my hands on their...HOLY SHIT!"

Elliott had flipped back to the prison level at the start of the escape inadvertently displaying Amata in all her naked glory.

"Damn it," Leon cursed under his breath as he recalled being stripped during his alien abduction.

Freddie's mouth was hanging open. "I know I shouldn't be looking at this but I can't take my eyes off it!"

Alphonse's face was rapidly going red with rage and he was choking trying to make his mouth work. Fortunately Leon noticed.

"Alphonse, calm down! I got the same thing, remember? At least we know she's still alive and not alone."

"I know, but the thought of those things doing this to my daughter and now we're watching it like some perverted...!"

"Don't blow too much of a gasket," Sarah chimed in. "It gets better, she's out and on the run!"

"Hot damn you're a lucky guy Leon! She's hot and she's tough!" Butch said in admiration.

"Good to see her training paying off," Leon was trying to divert everyone's attention away from Amata's lack of clothing and back to business. "Hey I know that guy!"

"He looks like a Raider," Dan warned.

Leon nodded. "He was once. His name's Jansen, he used to be the boss of a real professional Raider gang before he retired. He's been trying his hand at putting down a new settlement in Paradise Falls for the last few years. So far it's worked out for him."

Kayla nodded. "Yeah, I remember that. He even went to Three Dog to put the word out on GNR."

"So...he's a good guy then?" Christine asked nervously. With his wild hair, spiked armour and brutal combat moves Jansen didn't look like the sort you'd trust.

"I wouldn't go that far," Leon replied. "But I wouldn't say he was a real bad guy anymore. He seemed sincere when I met him."

Leon had met Jansen four months ago at Paradise Falls as he'd been sent there by the Brotherhood to judge whether the new settlement was viable and if the DC government could establish full relations. Leon had judged yes on both those points, Jansen had convinced the Wanderer that he wanted a fresh start, though he knew Rothchild and the Rivet City leaders weren't going to be so happy about Jansen's other plans; namely to make a 'Reno on the east coast' out of the place.

"Least his gun's pointed in the right direction," Sarah agreed as they saw the team rescue Wolf.

"If the ship's structured much the same they should go through an engineering bay and end up on an observation deck," Leon mused. "From there they can access several other parts of the ship. Let's just hope they get some clever ideas and do some damage in there. We can't contact them right now and we can't slow that ship down without firing on it."

"Hey Elliott, pull that frame back can you?" Yuna had spotted something the others had missed. "Where's this?"

"According to the readouts this is their main science labs," Sally read from her computer bank.

"Looks like some kind of mental experiment or something," Elliott noted. He was looking back over footage from the other chambers.

"More like straight hypnotism and brainwashing," Sarah looked with disgust. "Look how those people are acting after they've been inside. They're like zombies, just letting the aliens lead them away."

"It's not just that," Yuna pointed out. "Doesn't that look like someone we know?"

"Fuck...I don't believe it!" Dan was amazed. "We only left him behind a short time ago!"

"Who is that?" Sarah didn't recognise the Courier.

Leon sure did and broke out in a grin. "I think our girl's chances just doubled. Jaden Storm's in the mix!"

"Who's Jaden Storm?" Alphonse asked.

"You could say he's my opposite number on the west coast," Leon explained. "He was a keystone in helping us bring down the cyborgs and a real hero. You two would get along real well, Sarah."

"I might not for long given the situation!" Sarah retorted. "Have you seen where he is? If he's half as good as you claim Amata's chances are going to be halved! What happens when he walks out of that chamber as a mind wiped drone?"

"Won't happen," Leon said confidently. "They don't know Jaden. After what he's been through there's no way he'll end up like that."

"Hope you're right," Elliott said. "Because it looks like he's stopped struggling and passed out. That means he's just exhausted himself or...he's going under."

**Zeta ship-cryo chamber**

"Is it cold in here or is just me?" Jansen quipped as the others gave him the stink eye. "Yeah, I know bad taste."

This section of the ship seemed even colder than the rest if that was possible but the temperature was the least of their worries. There were two levels all in cold blue metal and the racks of freezer pods which didn't help the atmosphere any. Much to the horror of the team most were occupied but not with live subjects. There was what looked like a jumble of organs in some, mostly hearts and brains. Others had human bones, ribcages and whole corpses with various mutilations and defilements.

"Holy shit," Lucy spluttered

Amata wept as she saw some of the corpses. Some were as young as 9 or 10 years old. She just managed to hold her stomach in. Wolf wasn't so lucky and he staggered over to a corner where he threw up. Even Jansen felt bile coming up his throat; he'd seen and done some sick stuff as a Raider but nothing compared to this.

"Why?" Amata choked through tears. "How could you justify any of this?!"

"Simple darlin," Jansen gave it to her straight. "To these things we're nothing but Brahmin shit on the sidewalk. Now I don't know about you but I'm itching to kick some more alien ass so let's suck it up, save anyone else we find and spill some of their guts. How about it?"

Amata wiped her eyes clean and steeled up. "Yeah. Sounds good to me."

"Hey guys, I think we've got something here!" Wolf had gone to the upper level after downing a scavenged bottle of water and discovered four more freezer units: ones with life readouts all still in the green.

"Are they still alive?" Lucy asked.

"Only one way to find out," Jansen reasoned. "How do you get into these things?"

"Like this," Wolf said as he operated the central unit. "Amazing what you learn watching them work out of vents."

"Ok, kid genius," Jansen grinned. "You get them out; I'll go make sure we don't have company."

The first one to defrost was a fair haired man in his late thirties wearing green combat armour with an old US flag on his arm. Lucy, Amata and Wolf helped him out of the pod slowly.

"What...where the hell am I?!"

"Take it easy," Amata tried to reassure him but it didn't exactly work.

"Not until you tell me where the hell I am and who you are! One minute I'm down in Yangtze fighting off the Reds, next minute there's some kind of light and I'm waking up here. How do I know I haven't been taken and this isn't a cheap Red interrogation trick?"

"Nice theatrics. Unfortunately for you they won't work!"

All of them had been so preoccupied with the soldier they hadn't noticed the occupants of the opposite pods recover on their own and now both were pointing AK assault rifles in their direction. They were also dressed in military style but in camouflaged pattern uniforms and both had a very different flag on their arms. Namely a red one with gold stars. The speaker was female, dark haired, Oriental and had spoken in crisp English.

"I am Colonel Lin Xiang of the People's Liberation Army and, unless I get some truthful answers from you Yankees, I will execute you here and now!"


	4. Strange alliances

Good to be back in the writing flow again. A big shout out to Dario Soto for the ideas, not one I can use in this fic but he's given me excellent inspiration for the next one along. All I'll say is it'll be something completely different from what's come before.

eaglescorch: I'm nowhere near done changing the field yet. As for the Colonel, well I find the old fashioned arguments work best.

TSCSupremeCommander: New Vegas is probably in a bit of shock. I'm not done with the twists yet though...

OldGlory: Ask and ye shall receive, well so long as I don't get too hooked on Skyrim again.

EnclaveFan12: Jaden's future will become clearer this part...to an extent anyway :)

Doug: Well I'm glad I'm doing it right for some people. Thanks!

Exile037: It's coming to a head alright, but it's not as straightforward as a 2 sided war. There are a few more angles and players to this conflict.

Anyway enough from me and back to the fic...

**Zeta ship-cryo chambers**

Colonel Xiang was certain she had the situation in hand but she'd made a classic error: not checking her surroundings properly. Before she could try interrogating her captives further she heard a familiar sound of an AK being loaded behind her and then the cold feel of a bayonet at the back of her neck.

"You execute them bitch and I execute you!" Jansen's cold voice made it very clear he was dead serious.

The other Chinese soldier quickly his gun on Jansen and started shouting at him. Even though no one could understand him his intent was clear.

"Tell him to back off!" Jansen shouted louder. "He shoots and I'll take you with me before I drop!"

Xiang shouted an order at her companion in Chinese. He didn't drop his gun but he lowered it and backed away, making sure he could still keep everyone covered.

"Nice work whoever you are. What's with the outfit? They started issuing new uniforms or something?" the American soldier asked.

"This is my outfit," Jansen replied coldly. "And your country ain't issuing shit now given it's been dead for fuck knows how long!"

"What?"

"What he's saying, somewhat tactlessly, is that both your countries have...well gone." Amata gave Jansen a cold look and he replied with a chuckling grin. "The war between you went nuclear and neither survived."

"You can't be serious!" the fourth pod had contained another soldier in a US uniform; this one was a raven haired girl barely out of her teens.

Lucy hated doing this but knew that no good would come of lying to them. "What's the last thing you guys remember? Where were you last?"

"We were in Yangtze on the front lines," the American girl spluttered. "We were on night guard in the trenches; then there was a light and the next thing I know here I am with you!"

"It was the same for me," Xiang spoke up. Her cold English was perfect. "I was part of an infiltration team. Suddenly I'm in what I thought was a searchlight and then I'm here, not that I'm certain where 'here' is and that this isn't just a trick!"

"Think they'd believe us if we told them? Sure!" Wolf rolled his eyes.

"I think we'll have to show them," Lucy reasoned. "I can't see any other way they'll believe us."

"We can do that back outside," Jansen agreed. They'd passed an observation deck on the way through to the cryo storage.

Colonel Xiang nodded in agreement at Lucy. "If I agree to this can you have this caveman remove his gun from my back?"

"Do it, Jansen," Amata ordered. "We've got to get over these trust issues fast, we've got enough problems as it is."

Jansen grunted. "Alright. But don't expect me to put my gun down until it's done!"

**Mothership Zeta**

"Son of a bitch!"

Leon and his group had caught up with current events on the cameras.

"They don't look friendly," Christine observed.

"Not to Americans they aren't," Leon agreed. "You're looking at living history! Those are Chinese and old US soldiers."

"My god are you sure?" Alphonse could barely find the words.

Leon nodded. "Positive. Look at the flags on their shoulders not to mention the state of their uniforms, they look brand new. All old war uniforms in the wasteland look their age, there's no faking that."

"Taken 200 years ago and put on ice," Sarah mused. "What the hell for?"

"Because they can? I wish I knew," Leon chafed. "I've seen Super Mutants, Raiders and others from a long way back. Elliott and Sally here are in that category. As the clock flies they're both over 200 years old."

"And still pretty good looking too!" Sally quipped.

"Leon we've got another problem," Elliott broke in. "If we keep going at this speed we'll be at the Kuiper Belt and that distortion in about 4 hours. I'm pushing the engines as far as I dare but it'll be 3 hours until we're in optimum firing range."

"And at that range we won't do much damage if their shields are up, right?" Leon guessed.

"I'm afraid so," Elliott was bleak in his confirmation. "Unless your friends find a way to do some internal damage I don't see us catching them in time."

Leon turned to Elliott with a grim and determined look. "If we can't catch them...then start finding a way to destroy that ship before it gets there!"

His fellow vault dwellers gasped in horror.

"Leon..." Butch started to object but Leon cut him right off.

"Leon what? You heard him and you saw everything that happened four years ago! Not to mention what's going down now!"

Leon brought up the camera view of the cryo chamber and zoomed in on the bodies in all their graphic detail.

"Do you want that happening to Amata? Or any of them come to that?" The silence that followed his tirade told Leon everything he needed to know. "I thought as much. Alphonse... I don't know how to ask this but..."

"You don't need to Leon," Alphonse was fighting back tears but his jaw was set. "If we can't save her we can at least spare her from...whatever those vile things have done. Do whatever you have to."

**Zeta ship-observation deck**

It was a good thing Amata wasn't too prone to headaches as this situation was rapidly turning into one. Her 'team' gave dysfunctional a whole new sub text. 4 soldiers from opposing sides 200 years ago who sure as hell didn't trust each other, a kid from Little Lamplight, a somewhat lecherous ex-Raider and an ordinary wastelander Lucy West.

On the up side at least she didn't have much to explain anymore. One glance out of the ship's window told the newcomers most of their situation. One look at Amata's pip-boy, specifically the date, told them the rest.

"I can't fucking believe it!" Captain Zachary Lloyd, the 36 year old American captain, was first to speak. "I promised I'd be home in time for my little girl's birthday. Now you're telling me I'm still alive and she's dust?!"

"We got snatched by aliens and now we're in space 200 years later!" 20 year old Private Rayna Hamilton wasn't doing much better.

"Pretty much," Wolf replied.

"Listen soldier boy we're in this fucked up situation whether you like it or not!" Jansen's limited patience with the situation had run out. "So why don't you just lock and load and follow us if you want to get out of here alive!"

Colonel Xiang's face broke into a smile, something that looked very out of place on her stoic face. "For once the Neanderthal has a good idea."

"Don't tell me you're believing this shit?" Lloyd snapped. "More likely you Reds caught Rayna and me and this is some huge mindfuck interrogation job!"

Xiang shook her head. "You Yankee soldiers. Forever using the language of the gutter and lacking in awareness. I know both our countries have...forgive me, _had _some creative interrogators. But what right thinking one would create this situation?" Xiang then snatched Lucy's atomizer from her belt. "And neither of our countries ever had technology like this gun or this vessel! Your name is Amata, is it not?"

Amata nodded quickly as she realised Xiang had turned to her.

"Then I suggest you leave these two deluded fools here if they won't follow us. Sergeant Chen and I will follow you unless you give us reason to do otherwise."

Amata was stunned. "I thought you'd want to take charge yourself."

"Not when I don't know what I'm dealing with," Xiang reasoned. "You know more than we do at this point so, for now, I'll follow your lead providing you can keep this primate under control!"

Jansen leered at Xiang as she gave him a glare that would have frozen a fire pit.

"Sounds good to me," Amata replied cordially.

"So what will it be, 'Yankee', Jansen turned his leering on Lloyd. "You coming or you just going to stare out that window for the rest of your life?"

Lloyd sighed. "Fine. Just don't expect me to trust Dragon Lady over there, that's all!"

"We'll try not to kill you from force of habit," Xiang replied coldly.

"Then let's move!" Lucy urged. "We're not going to escape by bickering!"

**Zeta ship-science labs**

{I see you're making progress, Leader.}

{It would seem so according to the readings,} the Leader sounded almost smug as he operated the controls.

The camera view seemed to bear that out as well. The scientist watched as Jaden's struggles became more and more feeble, he slumped back on the gurney and his breathing soon became deep, slow and rhythmic.

{He's well asleep now,} the Leader assured.

{How did you break through?}

{A relatively routine change in tactic: you add subliminal inducers to the display; they induce a wave of pleasure through the subject which of course makes him crave more of the same. The only other thing you have to do is administer electric shocks when he closes his eyes. Pain or pleasure, a simple choice. Soon the subject's instinct betrays him long before he even knows it; I think that was the case here.}

The scientist agreed once he'd seen the playback on the camera. Jaden's eyes seemed to glaze and then zone out after he looked at the spirals a little too long. He checked the readings on the console again. Jaden's life signs were stable, no active signs of brain resistance...

{He's asleep and his defences are down,} the Leader was assured. He'd done this many times before after all. {He was strong but it doesn't matter how much they fight, they all tire in the end and it makes them easier to condition. It's only a matter of time now before his brain is reprogrammed and then he will be ours.}

{What are your orders now?}

{The Commander wants a progress report so I'm needed in the main lab. Wait until his conditioning finishes then take him to the surgical unit and wait for my return. He's special and will need new enhancements. No change other than that. He may have been strong but he's just another slave now.}

The scientist took the Leader's place at the control panel to double check for himself. Certainly the readings seemed to bear the Leader out; they showed no active brain resistance of any sort. After checking over once more he made a few adjustments to turn off the visual displays. He looked at the meter that displayed Jaden's level of mental conditioning; it currently stood at 50%. The scientist then turned up the audio system to full; now that he was asleep Jaden wouldn't be able to fight off the subtle whispering now. Before long the scientist knew the meter would climb to the point where Jaden would be fully brainwashed at 100%...

**Zeta ship-bridge**

The alien Commander was trying hard not to show it but he was worried. They were still well ahead of the pursuing ship and, according to the computers, would easily make their escape portal before their enemies could catch up to them. However that was all dependent on things staying exactly as they were. He knew that wasn't guaranteed certainly not with the escaped prisoners closing in on one of the ship's engineering sections. Hence the emergency conference he was having over the communicators with the Leader and his security guards.

{I don't care how ready your subjects are, Leader, I need them now! The escapees have increased in number and they are closing in on the secondary engineering section! We can't afford any loss in power right now with the captured ship pursuing us.}

{Why don't we stand and fight that ship?} The Leader retorted. {It's manned by primitives and inferiors!}

{The last ship that tried thought the same and they were obliterated!} The Commander gave that short shrift. {This is not open to debate. Arm your converted subjects and send them out now. Send as many warriors as we can spare too and arm the maintenance robots. Don't let them near the engines or the reactors no matter the cost!}

**Zeta ship-robotics /maintenance section/engineering core**

The Commander was right to be fearful. After their imprisonment, and torture in some cases, Amata and her team were ever more eager to cause hurt and damage. Now they'd snuck into another dark gold coloured section, this one had less steam venting and more in the way of production lines, specifically robots.

"It's not just the ones on the line," Wolf had been scouting ahead alongside Amata. "There's some of them moving around too."

"And we have to assume they can fight," Amata added grimly. "Those tools they're carrying look like they have some punch."

"No shit," Jansen agreed. "And we don't have too many explosives."

"We might not need them," Xiang was getting a brainwave. "All that machinery...do you think it has a vulnerability?"

"Like something we can blow up?" Lloyd added before realising he had agreed with the 'Dragon Lady' earning a small smile out of her and an inward groan for him and Rayna.

"I'll start near the production line," Amata said coldly as she activated another stealth boy. "Watch for my signal and then hit them with everything we've got. You'll know it when you see it."

Amata's 'signal', if it could be called that, wasn't hard to miss. She snuck down past two white suited alien guards and a mech drone before reaching her target: namely the console on the robot production line. Another lesson she'd learned from Leon: if you can't blow it up yourself use the enemy's weapons against them. Before anyone knew what was happening she manipulated a power control and turned it up to full, well over the safe limit and overloaded the whole production line. She blew up every single mech on the line as their power cores overheated and blew out, taking out two functioning mechs and an alien guard with it.

"Showtime!" Jansen opened up and split another alien in half before he could react.

Lucy and Rayna followed suit and caught a third in their double crossfire.

Another mech drone turned its cannon onto them and snapped off a shot. It missed but the energy bolt carried much more power than any of the alien handguns and the splash damage burned Rayna badly, sending her crashing to the ground with a scream. Amata blew away the drone with well placed laser shots in response while Lucy jammed a stimpak into Rayna.

Things then took an unexpected turn as a blue energy bolt slammed into Sergeant Chen from behind, decapitating him instantly. Xiang's training kicked in automatically as she rolled out of the way of another bolt aimed at her. She emptied her AK and brought down both her attackers...but she was stunned to find both had been human! Both men had been dressed in plain white hospital style clothing, no armour at all, and they'd been armed with alien disintegrators.

Hiding away on the upper level, Wolf was about to get a bigger shock as someone he'd never thought he'd see alive again walked through a door into his field of vision.

"Faith?!"

Wolf's eyes weren't deceiving him. It was his sister alright but some things were definitely wrong. Like her strange hospital like gown, her vacant dead expression and the alien pistol that she held in her right hand. She showed no sign of recognising her brother at all.

"Faith, it's me!"

To his total horror Faith raised her gun in and only uttered one word in response. "Kill."

Wolf was so in shock he couldn't do anything but step back and fall down on his butt. However she never got the chance to follow through as a blade suddenly emerged from her chest. Jansen had come up to check on Wolf after dispatching his enemies below. When he saw what was going down he didn't hesitate in ramming his bayonet straight through Faith's heart.

Tears streamed out of Wolf's eyes as she crashed to the ground in a pool of blood and his scream of pain echoed through the entire deck...

**Zeta ship-science labs**

Far from the pain and the chaos in engineering the science lab seemed a place of calm. The scientist was just putting the finishing touches on his 'work' on Jaden. The display now read 100%; there was no sign of any mental stimulus of his own. To all intents and purposes he was now a slave ready to be directed.

He opened a communication line. {Leader, I've just completed the subject's conditioning.}

{Bring him over to the surgical unit. We need him more than ever now. We've already lost three subjects against the escapees!} The Leader almost growled in reply. {This time I'll make sure to preserve more of this one's mental faculties. The operations on the first few were less than successful.}

{I'll bring him directly to you then.}

The scientist powered the chamber down and unlocked it before entering and undoing Jaden's restraints.

{Awaken now slave. Your masters have need of you.}

Jaden's eyes opened immediately. He showed no emotion or expression just as the scientist expected.

{Good. Now follow...agghh!}

He was suddenly cut off as Jaden's hand shot straight out and grasped him by the throat and his face regained feeling and expression...all of it being hatred.

"Sorry 'master', didn't you want this?" Jaden whispered in a voice that could have cut glass.

The scientist was beyond taken aback, this couldn't be happening! The instruments had shown him to be completely docile; they'd detected subjects who'd been faking it before. This simply wasn't...

He got no chance to think any further as an enraged Jaden slammed him into the wall of the chamber again and again and again until the back of his skull had turned to pulp.

Jaden didn't usually enjoy killing but that one felt _good._ One of his pet hates was people trying to manipulate and use him. When he'd been abducted by the Think Tank he'd been disoriented, confused and left unable to resist the hypnosis they'd forced on him, all of which had left him a lobotomized puppet with limited free will. He'd forgiven the Think Tank as he'd got to know them but he'd resolved to make sure he'd never be mind controlled again.

Reality caught up to Jaden and he walked out of the chamber warily with a lot to do, the first thing being to find his clothes again and any weapons he could get his hands on. Then there were scores to be settled...

**Zeta ship-unknown location**

What the scientist and Jaden didn't know was that there was a little more to Jaden's escape than his mental fortitude. Two aliens were observing the drama from a hidden and very 'junky' console and camera display. They'd been cobbled together from parts cannibalised from various sections of the ship. Both aliens were also markedly different in that they wore red suits.

{The Leader's overweening pride and faith in technology was ever his downfall. Now it begins and not before time!} one said with malice.

The two had hacked into the science lab's computers and sent falsified readings to the scientist's console. They'd also blocked the Leader's instructions from ever reaching Jaden's mind.

{What do you want me to do now, Adjutant? With what he just did then...}

{..You're afraid of the next step?} the Adjutant replied knowingly. {So am I. Hopefully we won't need our insurance but, knowing what he's capable of, at least the option is there.}

Whilst they'd blocked the Leader's instructions they hadn't stopped the process itself entirely...

{So as long as it works.}

{Then I suggest you waste no time in finding out,} the Adjutant suggested. {Be as subtle and gentle as you can but make sure he finds his way down here. This human will give us what we have awaited for so long. Our road to freedom begins today!}


	5. A Zeta house divided

Oddliver: It certainly doesn't quieten down now that's for sure!

TSCSupremeCommander: No Che Guevara in their camp but I suppose it's a little like that and the revolution starts now.

Thanks for the reviews and PM support guys. Unfortunately due to recent events I think I have to put out a little general warning to trolls/flamers. In short: don't bother. Facebook and Twitter might have to tolerate you but I don't have to. Any flames will be ignored and deleted instantly as the last one found out so you might as well blow your hot air someplace else.

With that out of the way it's back to business...

**Zeta ship-robotics/engineering section**

Despite killing off all resistance it was a very subdued and demoralised group that reunited on the upper level, clustered around Amata who'd pulled a still sobbing Wolf into a tight hug.

For once Jansen looked genuinely contrite. "It was either him or her. I had less than five seconds to make the call and I chose him. For what it's worth I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Lucy reassured the ex-Raider. "We had to take out some just like her. They got Xiang's friend before we did. Sorry about that too."

"At least he died as a soldier," Xiang was as stoic as ever. "His loss pales next to this."

"No kidding," Lloyd was getting hot tempered himself. "Using us as toy soldiers! At least you Reds always fought your own battles; these bastards don't even do that!"

Jansen agreed. "For all their gizmos they're fucking cowards!"

"Then I suggest we put our rage to some practical use," Xiang suggested. "We can start by destroying more of their machinery which they obviously cherish so much!"

Rayna grinned. "How about that? Us and the Dragon Lady on the same page, that is an idea I can go for!"

"Fucking A!" Jansen grinned. "Come on; let's go show them how us humans treat cowards!"

Amata gave Xiang a nod in appreciation as she stayed with Wolf.

"What if the rest of Lamplight are...all like that?" Wolf got out as he came out of his crying.

"Never give up hope," Amata tried to reassure him. "And I know you might not want to hear this but you shouldn't hate Jansen either, he might have saved your life..."

"It's those little grey bastards I hate not Jansen!" Wolf's rage grew from a fire to a great conflagration. He pulled out of Amata's arms and grabbed his late sister's gun off the floor. "Let's go!"

"Wolf...stay with us!" Amata put a hand on his shoulder. "You've every right to hate them but don't let it burn you up. We're all here for you and we don't want you dying on us."

Wolf gave her a nod in reply but Amata wasn't reassured. One look in his eyes told her much. A big light in his life had been snuffed out and a part of him had gone with it. The question was could she and the others do anything about it before he became a hate filled destroyer?

**Zeta ship-bridge**

When the warning klaxons went off on the bridge the Commander knew his day was about to worsen but even he couldn't have guessed by how much. He didn't need to as the reports of his bridge lieutenants told the whole grim story.

{The cooling systems for engines 5 and 6 are offline!}

{Cut power to both and engage reserve coolant systems...}

The Commander was almost having a panic attack. {NO! If we do that our pursuers will overtake us, we could lose everything!}

The lieutenant was just as panicked but he kept his head and spoke the calm truth. {Commander if we don't take them offline there's no way we can contain the heat. They'll misphase and explode, we'll lose half the ship and that is for certain!}

The Commander wanted to object but knew that he couldn't. The lieutenant was simply speaking facts.

{I take it this is the work of the escapees?}

{Unfortunately yes. The Leader's subjects killed one of them but otherwise failed miserably. It would appear it has made them even more aggressive.}

That, the Commander realised, was certainly an understatement as he watched the camera feeds from the robotics section. The humans had rendered the entire section virtually unusable. The production line was a mess, strewn with maintenance bot wreckage. The rest of it wasn't much better. The Zeta technology, whilst incredible and centuries ahead of anything the humans had, had a fatal flaw: namely most of it needed incredible energy to run it. All of that energy produced a lot of heat, heat that could turn a safe piece of equipment into a bomb if not suppressed. Hence the need for a just as sophisticated cooling system. Now the humans certainly weren't geniuses but it didn't take one to work out that the cooling systems were the Achilles heel of the whole thing. These humans had worked that out very fast; every cooling system down there was now a smouldering wreck. As a consequence so was every piece of machinery the cooling systems had been tied to.

{Then take the engines offline.}

Long and short of it was they'd lost the robot production line, all the teleporters in that section so they couldn't beam in more security and worst of all the main cooling systems for two of the engines. With those offline they'd be cut back to 70% of maximum speed which meant their pursuers would close the gap.

{What's the position of the pursuing ship?} It was time to find out how much.

The lieutenant was grim. {Outside optimum firing range but that won't last long.}

Another unfortunate truth. {Increase output through the other four engines.}

{Commander even doing that we can only manage 75% maximum speed and there's an increased risk of overheating those engines as well!}

{Yes but we must keep as far ahead of the enemy ship as possible. Keep transmitting our distress signal to the fleet, they might be the only ones that can help us now.}

His headaches weren't to end there however as another operator spoke up. {Commander, we have another breakout from the science labs!}

{What!} The Commander's blood almost curdled as he saw the camera feeds of Jaden's escape. {Open me a line to the Leader at once.}

{Commander? I only gave you a report a short time ago. Is there a problem?} It was obvious the Leader didn't know of what was happening yet. He was about to get a blunt enlightenment.

{There certainly is, Leader. Did you not report that your labs and all your subjects were secure?} The Commander's voice had taken on a dangerous edge.

{Everything was in order when I left. I was about to operate on one of the more exceptional subjects, why?}

{Your 'exceptional' subject has escaped and is running amok, that's why!} The Commander snapped.

The Leader was at a total loss. {Impossible! I was supervising his conversion myself, the conditioning was...}

{...As inefficient as I feared!} The Commander furiously cut him off. {Now I suggest you take control of our security force and find a way of dealing with it. I have our pursuing ship to contend with. When, or should I say if, you clean up this mess we might talk again!}

**Zeta ship-science labs**

Jaden was having what he would call a fun time so far as he was letting his fury loose. He'd ambushed an alien guard who'd been standing guard in the corridor outside the brainwashing lab, grabbing him from behind into a tight hug and then snapped his neck before taking his atomizer and blowing the head off another who'd come to investigate. The only setback was that he hadn't found his clothes or weapons yet so he was relying on stealth for the time being.

Now, wielding two atomizers at once, he was moving through another lab warily. These aliens were a mystery to him. From what he'd seen they were technologically superior by far; that had obviously led to arrogance and a superiority complex but why do all this? These experiments of theirs seemed to have no linking theme, no consistency and no obvious aim.

Jaden's anger started to rise as he looked through glass windows at some other victims. One man had suffered a complete gutting; nearly all his bones and major organs had been removed. The next one made Jaden almost physically ill; namely a 9 year old girl that looked like she was staring into space on an operating table...until you looked around the other side of her head to see the gaping hole there. Her brain had been extracted.

Even Jaden's normally strong stomach was getting tested. He remembered what Leon had told him about the Zeta, they'd been doing this for 5 centuries at least. What the hell could be worth doing all this for so long?

Needing some space and some fresh air he started to walk over to one of the exits before he suddenly felt dizzy. He had to lean against a wall for support as the feeling passed as quickly as it came. Obviously, Jaden realised, they'd been screwing around with him a little too. He'd have to press on and hope whatever they'd pumped him full of wore off after awhile.

He stood up and walked on to an exit on the opposite side to where he'd been heading...

**Zeta ship-unknown location**

{Is it working?} The Adjutant tried not to let his nerves show but he was only half successful.

{So far,} his companion shared his nerves as he operated the jerry rigged console. {It's a fine line. Too little and we risk losing him altogether, too much and he might work out what's happening. Either way we lose.}

{I know,} The Adjutant admitted. {But I see no other way of doing this and keeping us safe at the same time especially with the route he's taking now.}

{Are you sure you can do this? Are you even sure you can?}

{No I am not,} The Adjutant freely admitted. {But this is the best chance we've had for a very long time and I'm not going to let this slip away from us. If all else fails I can still persuade him another way, at least temporarily. What about the other group?}

{They've just taken the cooling systems of two engines offline. That's both good and bad depending on the intentions of the pursuing ship behind us. It does not take much to guess who is aboard.}

The Adjutant knew what he meant. The Lone Wanderer had earned infamy among the Zeta; he'd been the first in centuries to do them so much damage. Losing one ship to his capture was humiliating enough but then to lose another soon after to him and a crew of mismatched former specimens using said captured ship was even worse.

The Adjutant almost smiled; the episode had brought a lot of positive results for him as well. Recruitment for his cause had increased fivefold overnight. It had proven that the fleet Commanders and their militaristic faction were not invincible; if a primitive species could lay them low then so could he and his fellow functionaries.

Then he got a sudden thought. {Can you get a transmission to that ship? Covertly of course.}

{Not easily. I'll have to get the main computer to translate it into their language, slip it around several systems including the transmitting array and then send it secretly all without the bridge detecting but given they're preoccupied at the moment I think I can do it!}

The Adjutant was relieved. {Good. Before you do that you'd better open one of the waste compactor access routes. If I know the Leader he will go after our new friend with everything he has so let's make sure his efforts fail and I get the chance I need.}

The Adjutant hoped he'd get his chance soon. The Lone Wanderer had an uncompromising reputation and he didn't want to have the weaker hand when dealing with him...

**Zeta ship-Hangar**

Amata's group, spurred on by even more anger, were now trashing the hangar and the alien scout craft there. Making use of some scavenged grenades and mines they'd obtained in one of the cargo bays they'd started to turn the hangar into an alien slaughterhouse. Lloyd and Rayna had rigged the entrances with plasma and frag mines whilst Jansen tossed grenades down the exhausts of the recon craft.

The reactors on the craft didn't blow up but this rendered them expensive pieces of scrap metal and it also set off an alarm klaxon bringing squads of aliens running. They fell straight into the team's trap as they set off the mines at the doors and the survivors ended up killed or pinned down.

To everyone's amazement Wolf was now joining in the slaughter on the front line, using his sister's atomizer and giving out energy hell on the alien soldiers with a look of pure malice. He'd downed 5 aliens in as many minutes but had to be pulled into cover by Jansen twice; he was so focused on killing he didn't take any notice of return fire.

Ten minutes later the aliens, stunned by the losses, fell back again.

"Is that it? Are they all gone?" Rayna checked carefully down the side corridor she was guarding for cloaked aliens.

Everyone checked in as all clear. "They're going all right," Lloyd grunted. "Getting kicked where it hurts makes the enemy do that."

"They're not all gone!" Wolf growled.

Before anyone could ask him anything Wolf ran flat out at a pile of crates screaming in almost feral rage and launching himself into a flying tackle. He flew out of the other side of the pile of crates on top of another alien who'd been hiding away but not well enough. Now he was paying for it as a frenzied Wolf rained punches down on him.

"YOU LITTLE BASTARD! HOW DOES THAT FEEL?!"

Although most of the group was content to let Wolf have his revenge it was a sentiment Amata and Lucy didn't share. For one thing the alien was in a red suit, unarmed and cowering and was hardly even trying to protect itself and for another neither wanted Wolf crossing the line out of pure rage and lust for revenge. Both girls grabbed his arms and pulled him off.

"What are you doing? Let me at him!"

"WOLF!" Amata practically screamed at him and jerked him out of his berserker rage. "Look at him. Do you really want to do this?"

The alien had crawled away into a corner almost mewling pitifully.

"Why not?!" Wolf snarled in frustration. "Because of them...damn it all!"

As he collapsed sobbing into Amata's arms again Jansen joined them with his rifle raised.

"If you ask me the kid's got the right idea. The only good one's a dead one!"

"Well too bad. No one asked you!" Lucy shot back blocking his aim.

"Why are you defending those things?!" Lloyd backed Jansen up. "They were going to butcher us!"

Amata's eyes narrowed. "Because we're better than them! Does that one really look like it's going to butcher anything?"

Despite what the aliens had put her through slaughtering a defenceless opponent didn't sit well with Amata.

{Thank...you.}

Everyone 'heard' the voice in their heads and turned to see the red alien propping itself up against the wall and was injecting itself with a biogel vial.

"So it talks in a manner of speaking," Xiang observed coldly.

"It won't for long if we don't get some answers," Lloyd spat.

{Feel free to kill me if you wish but it won't undo what has been done. I've come with an offer from our provisional leader to help you.}

"And why should we trust you?" Lucy replied coldly. "You're one of them."

The alien's reply was bitter. {Only by species, by blood...and by shame. We are just tools to the ones who rule the fleet just as you are raw material and living weapons. They care nothing for any of us. The Adjutant hopes you can help change all of that.}

"You can't be fucking serious!"Jansen wasn't mellowed in the least. Nor were most of them come to that.

{Since that's proved insufficient to the cause, you should know that you're not alone. Another human has escaped in the upper science labs and there is another ship pursuing us. We believe it is under the control of the one who decimated the Commanders' cause before. He wore a wrist computer just like yours.}

Amata's heart skipped a beat. Even in space Leon still found a way to come after her.

"So how does this change what we do to you?" Lloyd's voice was more curious now than angry.

{Simple. We are trying to contact the other ship and reach the other human as we speak. If we combine forces we can bring down the Commander, the Leader and possibly liberate my people from their tyranny and your people from their butchery. Or you can simply kill me and move on.}

"Are we supposed to buy this shit?" Jansen scoffed.

Amata, however, had a different view. "Where can we find your boss then?"

"Amata? You actually _believe _him?" Lucy, and the rest of the team, were taken aback.

Amata pointed to her Pipboy. "There's only one other person I know who uses one of these and could have hurt them. Don't tell me you don't want to pass up the chance of him helping us?"

Lucy and Jansen caught on even if the others hadn't.

"Fuck, if we get _him _over here I'll break out the beer myself!" Jansen went over and hauled the alien to his feet. "But let's get one thing straight: you cross us and I'll squeeze your guts out through your ears while the kid rips your balls off. You got that?"

{Clearly.}

**Zeta ship- science labs**

Jaden's luck was taking a turn for the worse. He'd not found his duster or any other clothing and the Leader had sent heavy reinforcements and now he was pinned down behind an operating table. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned Jaden wasn't for giving up despite the Leader's desperate attempts to persuade him.

{Surrender human! Unlike most of your race you are far superior. I'd rather not lose a capable...}

Jaden's response was to blow the head off the soldier next to the Leader.

"You already have!" Jaden's voice couldn't have been colder. "You freaks aren't so special! You still bleed and die just like us. If you think I'm going to help murdering butchers like you then your brains aren't as good as you think!"

The Leader cursed mentally. Human stubbornness was always a liability; he wasn't happy about what he had to do but he had no choice left. {Advance your guards and terminate him!}

Jaden, however, was already on the move running through a door firing as he went. He went through so fast that he blundered onto the teleport pad before he realised it and he was transported elsewhere.

The Leader and his squad were quick to follow but they were in for a rude shock. As soon as Jaden had gone through the teleporter lost all power and they couldn't turn it back on no matter what they tried.

As a furious Leader berated his troops Jaden found himself several levels down in front of three elevators. He knew he'd been teleported from experience but given he didn't know how to work the alien tech he was forced to try going forward...and from the stench he instantly regretted it. That and one look inside and he knew he was going into the waste and recycling area. Holding his breath he stepped inside the elevator and had to hold his stomach as the door slammed shut and it plunged downward.

**Zeta ship-maintenance level**

{He's coming down now, Adjutant.}

The Adjutant had made his way from his hidden base to link up with Jaden in the waste shafts and was speaking through communicator. {Good work, keep this link open. I might need your help.}

{Given he went through the science labs where the failed experiments were stored I'd say that was likely. Be careful.}

It was the Adjutant's turn to mentally curse. That would make his nearly impossible task one shade harder. Still he was committed now and there was no turning back...

"Shit!"

The sound of Jaden's angry voice and of him being ejected from the elevator told him he was getting close.

Jaden was getting more and more frustrated and angry by the second. The floor of the elevator had dropped out from under him and he'd landed in a pile of trash, losing one of his guns in the fall.

"God, a shitty end to a shitty day!"

{Then I hope I can improve it for you.} Although nervous the Adjutant stepped into the light and revealed himself with hands open. But he didn't get the reaction he was hoping for.

"Do you never give up?!" Jaden snapped off a shot from his remaining gun forcing the Adjutant behind a pillar for cover.

{I'm not like the leaders of my kind that you escaped from!} The Adjutant tried desperately to plead his case.

"You expect me to buy that after what you did to those people...and to _children!_" Jaden's fury had taken hold as he fired three more shots.

On hearing Jaden's words and the rage in them the Adjutant knew his back was to the wall and he grabbed his communicator. {Turn your console up to full power!}

The reply was swift. {Already done. It's in your hands, I just hope it works.}

The Adjutant realised he would know soon enough as Jaden caught up with him and pointed his pistol straight at his head.

"Any last words, you butchering piece of..."

{Only that I'm sorry to have to use this but...it's time to dream Jaden.}

A wave of drowsiness and fatigue immediately swept over Jaden and he collapsed to one knee in shock.

The Adjutant, more than a little relieved, didn't let up. {That weapon looks a little too heavy for you now doesn't it Jaden? You should let it go.}

Immediately Jaden's fingers opened and his gun clattered to the floor as he stared in alarm. "Wh..What...have you done to me?!"

{Much as I regret this I'm afraid circumstances have left me no choice. My followers and I did prevent the Leader and his power hungry fools from taking control of you but I didn't stop the machinery in the chamber entirely. I felt it safer to have some insurance and I can see I was right.}

Jaden's eyes widened in terror as he realised he'd not been as successful in resisting the effects of the brainwashing chamber as he thought.

{To answer all your unsaid questions: yes I have total control over you. I could render you a brain dead slave but, fortunately for you, I am not the Leader or the Commander and have other plans. Unfortunately I'm now pressed for time so it's time to dream Jaden. Sleep."

"You...bas...tard..."

Jaden's conscious mind fought hard all the way but to no avail as he slipped into hypnotic sleep.

The Adjutant grabbed his communicator again. {Get some maintenance drones out here with a stretcher and have the operating theatre prepared. We're going to have to make some...changes to him if this is going to work...}


	6. A trip down memory lane

Okay...this part took more than I thought and a few rewrites. Hope everyone considers it worth the wait.

TSCSupremeCommander: No, nothing like that. The Adjutant just preferred having his head staying on his shoulders and not having to hurt Jaden in the process.

DeathBladeVI: Thank you. Glad you're liking it up to now.

Oddliver: I suppose anything's possible...I'm not sure about the ending yet so I'll keep that in mind.

Exile037: Oh he's devious alright but he knows that very well. Killing Amata is the last thing he intends, he wants her help not her death.

It seems everyone has misjudged the Adjutant. He's a freedom fighter not a butcher. Anyway I should get on with this part and let him play his cards out himself...

**Mothership Zeta**

"They're slowing alright!" Elliott could barely contain his excitement. "We can have a firing solution in half an hour!"

Sally couldn't believe what her console was telling her. "That's not all. I'm getting a message from the other ship. It's in text."

PLEASE HOLD YOUR FIRE. FRIENDLY FORCES ARE RECOVERING YOUR FRIENDS AND SABOTAGING SHIP. WILL SEND FURTHER UPDATES WHERE POSSIBLE.

"Sounds like a trick to let them slip away," Sarah muttered.

"Except that it wasn't sent by the bridge or through the main channels. This got routed through so many systems it's almost impossible to trace," Elliott wasn't sure what to make of this.

"But it's definitely from inside the ship somewhere?" Leon asked.

Sally nodded. "Do you want to try and send a reply? It might take some time to route back but..."

"Do it," Leon ordered. He didn't trust this entirely but he knew he couldn't afford to pass this up. Whatever happened he had to get on that ship...

**Zeta ship-maintenance area**

Amata and her team had allowed the red alien guide to lead them into the ship's underworks. The Adjutant's resistance movement had been operating down here for some time as the stockpiles of atomizers and disintegrators showed. Several other red suited aliens were donning helmets, testing shields and watching combat footage on other jerry rigged monitors.

Amata's jaw dropped when she saw what they were watching; namely various camera shots of Leon and his battle against the Zeta four years ago.

{As you can see we've been learning from you in many ways,} her guide noticed Amata's interest. {Were it not for the Adjutant and those brave ones of your kind none of this would have been possible.}

"Why am I not surprised!" Jansen rolled his eyes. The Lone Wanderer's involvement didn't surprise him in the least.

{Anyway the Adjutant will be here to meet with you soon; he's rescuing another escaped prisoner at the moment. In the meantime why don't you get some rest? There's plenty of room down here and I'm certain we've got human food in storage somewhere.}

"I could go for that," Lucy sighed. Ever since they'd escaped their cells they'd been on their feet and constantly on the move.

Amata still had one concern. "Can you show me where you sent this message from? I'd really like to get in contact with that other ship if I can."

{I suppose one more message won't do any harm. They've never detected any of the others before. Come this way.}

**Zeta ship-bridge**

{What do you mean you've lost him?} The Commander could barely believe his ears.

{He went into one of the teleporters and then as soon as he goes through it deactivates!} The Leader was doing no better. {There's something else happening here, the primitives aren't capable of manipulating our technology like that.}

The Commander agreed with that assessment. {Where did he escape to?}

{That's the other problem, we don't know. The record of his teleport has been erased! I have no idea where in the ship he went, that's why I contacted you. Is there any sight of him on the cameras?}

{None that we can see...}

The Commander was interrupted by a panicked Lieutenant. {Commander, engines 1 and 2 are offline! We're losing speed!}

{That's impossible! We've increased security around all the other engines and the escaped primitives haven't been seen near them.}

{It's not them, Commander. The engines haven't been destroyed but they've been switched off. They're being controlled from somewhere else!}

The Commander's heart had sunk to the pit of his stomach. He'd heard rumours of unrest and talk of insurrection amongst the functionaries but he'd dismissed them as nothing more than rumours. Now he was starting to realise a cold fact: they weren't rumours.

{Trace the source and then stop them! If we lose any more momentum for too long our pursuers will reach us long before we reach our escape!}

**Zeta ship-maintenance area**

A few rooms over from Amata's group the Adjutant was making the final preparations to the next phase of his plan. A still hypnotized and sleeping Jaden had been moved and strapped onto an operating table surrounded by various pieces of scavenged heavy machinery.

{Are you sure this is a good idea, Adjutant?} the operator was sounding ever more concerned.

The Adjutant sighed. This was a plan he himself disliked and considered the worst option. But, given he'd had to use the hypnosis he'd secretly buried in Jaden's mind; this was now his only real choice.

{No. But given I couldn't persuade him this is all we can do to prove our sincerity. Is everything ready?}

{We introduced the virus into the computer system a short while ago. Engines 1 and 2 are already offline and in a short while the other two will be. This should give more than enough time for the chasing ship to overtake us and for us to complete this plan.}

The Adjutant nodded in approval. {Is the mental amplifier ready along with the laser surgical equipment?}

{It's all ready, Adjutant. The question is: are you?}

{We'll see shortly. Start cutting into his brain and introduce the stimulants. I've seen a lot of his traumatic past; it's time he got back what he lost before.}

**Mothership Zeta**

No one on the bridge could believe it but the enemy ship was definitely slowing down. In fact, its speed had dropped to almost nothing. They'd be overtaking it in minutes. Now came the killer question: what would they do next?

Leon came up with a different solution. "Take us closer to the enemy ship."

"How close?" Elliott asked nervously.

"Right down their throats," Leon replied coldly. "Make sure that if they want to take us down they'll take themselves out with us."

Elliott accepted that. "And then what?"

"Then we find a way through their shields and onto that ship," Leon promised. "And we make sure those little alien butchers have hell to pay. Does that sound good?"

"Music to my ears," Sarah grinned in reply.

Sally and Elliott pulled the ship's speed back a little and raised their shields as they began to close in.

**Zeta ship-maintenance area**

"What's this?!"

On the way back to her group after sending her message Amata had taken a wrong turn...straight into the operating theatre where the Adjutant and the operator were utilising laser probes on a still sleeping Jaden, who was now wearing a helmet linked to a console by an array of wires.

Amata rounded on her guide. "I thought you said you didn't do any human experiments! So what the hell is this?"

{It's not experimentation!} The guide explained quickly, mentally cursing his ineptitude for letting Amata into this early. {This is the other escaped prisoner I told you about. He proved rather more difficult to persuade than you did so the Adjutant decided to subdue him and bring him here so he could unite with your group.}

"So what's all the rest of this gear for?" Amata was getting nervous looking at the alien medical equipment and probes. A lot of it had been used in her torture session and now they were attached to Jaden's head.

{You may not believe it but our equipment's primary purpose is intended to heal, not to hurt. This human has suffered severe brain trauma in the past. As another sign of our sincerity we intend to rid him of that with laser surgery and grafting.}

"Is that even possible?" Amata sounded doubtful and more than a little dubious.

The guide's reply seemed rather proud. {For us it's not just possible but easy. It also takes hardly any time. The actual damage is repaired with precision laser treatment into the skull and with cell stimulation the subject's healing and immune systems do the rest by themselves in a much shorter time than usual.}

{Was the operation successful?} Despite all the interruptions behind the Adjutant was still fixated on the task at hand.

{As far as we can tell,} the operator replied. {Whoever healed him first did a very good job so repairing the rest of the damage was simple and he has a strong ability to heal. It's only a matter of time before he wakes up fully restored...}

Amata's eyes widened in alarm. "I wouldn't be so sure about that!"

A slowly awakening Jaden was crying out and his body had started to shake like he was having a fit.

The Adjutant was aghast. {I thought you said it went perfectly?}

{It did! There's no brain damage now or any other kind of damage. It's nothing physical I'm sure of that!}

The Adjutant was hardly reassured. {Detach the laser probes and unlock his restraints before he does some real damage to himself!}

The operator quickly did as instructed as he tapped instructions into the console; decoupling the probes from Jaden's head and opened the restraints holding him down. Unfortunately this had an unforeseen side effect. Jaden was thrashing around so much that when the restraints came off so did he, quite literally, off the other side of the table and into a heap on the floor.

"Bravo," Amata let rip with the sarcasm. "What do you guys do for an encore?"

She walked around the table to see Jaden curled up into a foetal ball and breathing heavily. She gently turned him over to see tears in his eyes.

The reason for that was simple: he'd been overwhelmed. His brain had 'rebooted' in a manner of speaking and his memories had all come back in a rush. He'd seen his previous life in Ashton, before it became the Divide, with his parents and the good life they'd had together there. He'd remembered the time after he'd turned 16 when he'd pleaded with them to take him on one of their courier runs so they could stay together...and how it all ended in tragedy at Bitter Springs.

The NCR troops, some of them almost traumatised themselves by the event, had given medical aid to the survivors and had planned to take them to the NCR for further treatment and counselling. However, like many of the other survivors, Jaden's sorrow had turned to anger overnight after losing his parents. At that point in time he'd wanted no help from his parents' murderers. He'd lost the only people he'd ever loved and sure as hell didn't want any counselling or hearing the NCR's pathetic reasons for it. Spurning the NCR's goodwill he'd snuck out of the camp and then made his way down to Prim, his parents' work office, to see Johnson Nash and became a courier in his parents' memory.

People tend to deal with grief in four ways. They either become alcoholics, they seek out other family or friends for help, they withdraw into themselves and just grieved or they become workaholics. For Jaden it was a mix of three and four. He took job after job whilst keeping his own company and not much else. Whilst he'd not sought active revenge against the NCR, he certainly didn't forget or forgive them either. For a long while he'd just taken local jobs in Vegas and one or two over the Legion border, he'd refused to deal with the NCR or help them in any capacity.

That was until the day he'd had to deliver the fateful package to what would become the Divide. Despite still having a dark feeling toward the NCR he'd taken the job as he was desperate to work at the time...and Jaden had not known what was inside the package or that the massive explosions that occurred soon after he left were down to what was inside it. Jaden's life had stayed much the same until his fateful job with the platinum chip and the events it would unleash.

All of this, complete in every detail, and more swept through Jaden's head in mere minutes reducing him to a sobbing wreck on the floor.

{His memories must have been more intense than I anticipated,} the Adjutant realised.

"You think?" Amata muttered as she tried to shake Jaden awake and back to his senses.

Jaden's vision came back into focus and he quickly realised two things. The beautiful girl in recon armour over him and the fact that he was stark naked aside from his pip-boy!

"Hey take it easy!" Amata reassured the panicked Jaden as he tried to cover himself. She felt a hot flush herself as she saw Jaden's advanced muscles. "From where I'm standing the view's not bad!"

{You have my sincere apologies,} the Adjutant broke in. {I'd hoped to demonstrate my sincerity by restoring your memory. I didn't think it would have this effect.}

"Would have been nice if you'd asked first!" Jaden retorted icily. "But then again you don't have to do you? Thanks to your gadgets you can just hypnotize me again and put me out whenever you..."

{No I can't anymore,} the Adjutant assured. {We removed the conditioning from your brain while you were sleeping. I'm gambling that it's no longer necessary now that you're together with your fellow humans. Speaking of which I think we should leave you alone for a time. I believe those belong to you?}

The Adjutant pointed to a table which had Jaden's duster, katana sword, 12mm pistol and his multiplas rifle on it.

{When you're ready come through and join us. I'd prefer not to have to tell the same story twice.}

He left a dumbfounded Jaden and Amata in his wake.

**Zeta ship-bridge**

{All engines are out, Commander! The virus has impacted all of them!}

{Impossible...how did this happen? Where did it come from?} The Commander guessed he wasn't going to get any real answers anytime soon, at least not from his bridge crew. {Keep sending the distress signal and increase its range as far as possible, the fleet is the only chance we have now! What's the position of the pursuing ship?}

{Almost caught up with us...should I arm weapons?}

The Commander was about to give an affirmative but soon changed his mind as he saw the pursuing ship on his screen heading for them at full thrust. Before anyone knew it the ship was positioned almost on top of theirs in close proximity.

{Human primitives!} The Commander was shaking in anger at being boxed in so effectively. He couldn't use his death beam at this range, not without damaging his own ship anyway. With the engines down he couldn't manoeuvre away or outrun his opponents. He opened a channel to the Leader. {Leader, in case you aren't aware, we are now immobile and under siege. Unless you want to face our destroyer again I suggest you find the escapees and the source of this problem and deal with it. If our shields fall so do we!}

**Zeta ship-maintenance area**

Jaden's feelings were in turmoil. Ever since he'd been shot and left for dead he'd been looking for ways to reconnect with his past. That was why he'd gone into therapy with Dr Usanagi, trying to recover his memory gently and a piece at a time. Having it returned en masse by mind bending aliens hadn't been in the script, something he was still having to come to terms with now. Most of it had been what he expected but not all; there'd been an unexpected surprise or two. If that wasn't enough he was in the middle of this crazy space situation along with wastelanders from across the continent , soldiers from across time and the Adjutant. An ally he didn't completely trust for obvious reasons.

"Damn," Rayna liked the looks of the newcomer to their group. "Where did you find this hunk, Amata?"

"He's certainly easy on the eyes," Lucy observed. "But he looks like he's been through hell."

"We all have," Amata replied. "But he's been through more. Leave him alone, he's not looking for any company, take my word for it."

One look at Amata's face was all the other two girls needed to be convinced that she was dead serious. Jaden gave her a look of appreciation as the Adjutant entered the room armed with a blaster along with a helmet and shield pack.

{Before we start, I'm sorry this all happened to you and if you refuse what I'm about to propose I'd more than understand.}

"Before you start your sales pitch, pal, there's something I want to know," Jansen broke in. "Just who are the little pricks running things up there and who do they think they are?"

{To answer that you'd have to go back about seven of your centuries and to our homeworld. Don't bother asking me its name, the name we have for it is unpronounceable in your language. It was when we were first starting to expand beyond our home into the stars but there was...disagreement on how to proceed.}

"I take it this is where our white armoured 'friends' come in," Lloyd said bitterly.

{Yes. They were a major political faction, and a bad one, they were tyrants even then.}

"Do they have a name or is that out of our intelligence too?" Lucy couldn't help a little acid seeping into her tone.

{It's not a question of intelligence, just language. There are letters and words that simply have no equivalents in yours. Not in this case however. The equivalent name in your language would be the Avatars. They would claim themselves to be conquering warriors, the Avatars of change...}

"If by change they mean inhuman experiments, death and ruination, sure," Amata let some of her anger through.

{I couldn't have said that better myself. The only one you missed out was power grabbing,} The Adjutant added caustically. {The Avatars were advocating a programme of mass conquest. They said we were now technologically superior and we should start taking advantage of that. So they started building a war fleet and put it use on a neighbouring system. They were a primitive but civilised race, much like yours. They stood no chance at all. Not with a fleet bombarding them into oblivion from orbit. It was what the Avatars called the first great victory of many.}

"But I take it things didn't go as they planned?" Jaden asked perceptively.

{That's right. The Avatars had completely miscalculated on several fronts. Most of our people were not proud, they were sickened by what had been done. Our government, fearful of the Avatars' influence, took full advantage and used the incident as a pretext. The Avatars had made the mistake of taking only a third of the fleet on their conquest. The government commandeered the rest and issued a decree exiling the Avatars from our world.}

Jaden nodded. "And now they've got nowhere to go is that it?"

The Adjutant nodded in agreement.

"So where do you and your red suits come in?" Wolf asked.

{We are what's known as functionaries, the worker caste of our world. Now back on our world that was subject to change. If you showed aptitude and dedication you could work your way up through the ranks. Not so under the Avatars however. To them we are nothing but tools to be used and discarded. Even my title, Adjutant, is a misnomer. I'm little more than what you'd call a shop steward of a horde of slaves. We had the misfortune of being trapped on the Avatars' fleet and we ended up being exiled with them.}

"So they are warriors with the curse of arrogance," Xiang spoke up. "So the obvious next question is what use would they have for us?"

{They say they're looking to improve their standing forces. Their grand design is to upgrade their capabilities, develop new weapons, raise an even mightier force for a grand invasion and force our own government and people to have them back,} The Adjutant scoffed. {It's a mad, delusional and pathetic dream.}

"No shit," Jansen sneered. "Your ray guns and ships might be hot stuff but you ain't so good when it comes to mano-a-mano."

{If you mean physical attributes then yes. That was the other aim of the experiments: to find ways to restore us physically to what we once were.}

"You weren't always like this?" Jaden was surprised along with everyone else.

{Of course not. We once lived on a world much like yours and we were much the same size physically. But living in space, dependent on technology for several centuries without a natural environment or much in the way of physical challenge doesn't do much for your well being.}

"Well that explains a lot, like the wide variation in experiments on humans," Jaden realised. "They weren't focusing on any one thing or avenue of research. They were just trying anything and everything to see what worked."

"But there's one thing I don't get," Lloyd wondered. "Ok, I accept you functionaries must have had a shitty time but why didn't they do something about it like you're doing now?"

{Because until recently they had no semblance of courage, no hope and therefore no chance of succeeding. The Avatars had all the weapons, all the training, all the brutality and all the propaganda. They'd kept us repressed and at their feet for centuries. But all of that changed four of your years ago...with this.}

The Adjutant turned on a viewscreen to show the footage of the Lone Wanderer's battle in the first mothership.

"I should have known," Jaden grinned.

"Leon..." Amata watched proudly.

{Ironic isn't it? The same reasons the Avatars chose you as research subjects are the same ones that I hope will undo them!}

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jansen asked angrily.

{I meant no disrespect, quite the reverse. Despite your limited technology your resilience defies all belief. You've been through so many schisms in your history it's impossible to keep count. You're far more prone to making war than we are and you reduced your homeworld to a contaminated ruin but, in spite of all that, you endure. Your race always continues no matter what abuse you put yourselves through. That's what drew the Avatars to you in the first place. They wanted to harness that resilience and durability for themselves. Hence the experiments to create those hybrids you saw on the screen and the other...heinous crimes they've committed.}

"It wouldn't have worked anyway," Jaden snorted. "You can't just take human spirit with a machine."

{No you cannot. But it did help fuel our cause,} the Adjutant agreed. {The loss of a ship, its crew and another ship that came to intercede destroyed the Avatars' propaganda almost overnight. If they were so superior and invincible how did they get defeated by what was 'a primitive inferior' race in their own words? That was when I took a chance and started sounding out other functionaries. I asked them that if this could be done by humans why couldn't we do the same? With all the Avatars' lies beginning to be shown up for what they were, our support began building. However...}

"...You weren't confident enough to proceed alone?" Xiang finished.

{Correct, but that's when I got an idea of my own. Given the Avatars were still kidnapping your race I started to think history could repeat itself. I started to look for strong potential allies among the subjects,} The Adjutant looked in admiration at Amata and Jaden. {When you two, with your wrist computers, made your appearance I knew the time had come.}

"Did the plan have to involve brainwashing me?" Jaden asked with some bitterness.

{No, that was not part of my plan but...it was the only improvisation that would have worked,} the Adjutant explained gently. {In truth you are the strongest and most resilient subject there's ever been in those chambers. The longest anyone ever lasted was three sessions. You endured five before beginning to crack.}

"I was just...determined not to be mind controlled again. The last time that happened..."

{I know. I saw it myself. The machinery allows us to see our subjects' pasts in picture form,} The Adjutant explained to an astounded Jaden. {That's when I worked out you'd suffered brain damage and amnesia. So I blocked the instructions from the Leader's console and substituted my own. Unfortunately that necessitated you being hypnotized for real. There was no other way I could have deceived the Leader and his scientists into believing the deception. If I'd left you untouched you would have just fought and fought...and they'd have kept the process going and lobotomized your mind in the end. I couldn't allow that. As to restoring your brain I thought you deserved that after all you went through. I don't know how good or bad the rest of your past was but I thought it better if you knew. Lies and not knowing tend to hurt more, I speak from experience.}

"So what is it you propose?" Xiang was impatient to get something concrete. "It's obvious you want our help to destroy these Avatars and that will benefit you. But what would we get?"

{Safe travel home obviously...well at least to your home planet here and now,} he added apologetically to Lloyd, Rayna and Xiang. {I'm afraid time travel is beyond us. The safe return of every live human we can rescue and a firm pledge never to abduct or attack your race again. If you want any of the salvage that's in our cargo holds and waste areas, that's yours too. If you have any medical conditions or physical damage, our machines can cure those as well. I can't do much better than that.}

Seeing Wolf's concerned face Amata pre-empted his next question. "Where are all the other subjects on this ship?"

{Some are dead by your hand or are mindless drones. However I sense the ones you're concerned about are already taken care of.}

He tapped another button on the viewscreen and the display changed to reveal what looked like another row of freezer pods. The differences were that none of these were actually frozen and all the subjects in them were alive. All were untouched except they were all asleep and were attached to what looked like IV drip feeds.

{When you know how to 'play the system', it's easy for subjects to get lost and absorbed into it,} The Adjutant seemed almost proud. {A few system faults and falsified records and you can do almost anything you want. No one notices the functionaries most of the time. They're all under hypnosis and those chemical feeds are a mix of nutrients and a special masking agent we developed. It ensures that those arrogant fools on the bridge can't detect them with any scans.}

Despite themselves the humans were starting to feel a little admiration for the Adjutant.

"So the Avatars have no idea that they're down here?" Lucy asked in relief. She'd seen Maggie amongst the stored captives.

{As far as they're concerned those are already dead because their computer says so and it's never been wrong up to now. }

"But...my sister," Wolf almost choked.

The Adjutant's pride gave way as he heard that. {Unfortunately we had to let some subjects pass through to maintain the pretence of normality. I had no way of knowing who was related to who and...I'm very sorry.}

Jaden actually felt a pang of sympathy for the Adjutant. Playing at god and deciding who lived and who didn't wasn't a fun experience.

{Anyway now you have a decision to make. I've introduced a virus into the main computer. So far it's disabled the engines and the shields won't be far behind. You can wait until they fail and I can transport you to the other ship and you'll all be free. Or, if your stomach and consciences allow it, you can join with us and help us smash the Avatars once and for all. It's entirely your decision.}

Jaden and Amata looked at each other in amazement. This had all started as a simple escape situation. Now it had turned into a civil war and revolution. The Adjutant had thrown down a gauntlet. The question was did they want to pick it up?


End file.
